Non-traditional Approaches for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
Dr. David Sychantha
Thursday, August 17, 2023
1:30 p.m.
In-person: C2-361 (Reading Room)
Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance poses a profound global challenge, impacting healthcare, society, and the economy. Despite the urgent need for new antibiotics, innovation has been limited over the past two decades because of the high rediscovery rate of known compounds targeting conventional pathways. To overcome this hurdle, we have explored non-traditional approaches to circumvent existing resistance mechanisms and create new possibilities for alternative therapies. Several promising non-traditional avenues include inhibitors targeting resistance enzymes, virulence determinants, and untapped essential pathways. By screening natural products derived from environmental microorganisms and leveraging genome mining techniques, we have discovered unique non-traditional bioactive agents with novel mechanisms of action. Three examples that illustrate the effectiveness of non-traditional approaches will be presented, including inhibitors of metallo-β-lactamases, microbial nickel transport, and bacterial cell wall remodelling.