Research group leads: Professor Mathew Upton, Dr Grant January, and Dr Katie Muddiman

Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic-resistant infections are one of the leading threats to human health and modern medicine. The WHO and international governments have stated that urgent measures are needed to avert the crisis we face.

Discovery of new antibiotics

In our group, we have a programme of drug discovery to help meet the need for new antibiotics. 

Our lead antimicrobial, epidermicin, has unique activity in a relevant infection model and is in pre-clinical testing.

These antibiotics are of a new class (bacteriocins), have novel mechanisms of action and have excellent potential for development into the next generation of powerful antibiotics to treat and prevent drug-resistant infections.

Understanding and treating drug-resistant infections

We study pathogens that cause drug-resistant infections. 

We have significant expertise in analysis of the genetic relationships of these bacteria (using genome sequence analysis and sequence typing), which helps us understand the factors that lead to development of antibiotic resistance and the way the infections are spread.

We use the Galleria mellonella larvae infection model, cell culture and high-resolution proteomic methods to analyse the pathogenicity of these bacteria. By understanding the way that these bacteria cause disease and avoid the action of our immune system, we aim to identify new targets for therapeutic drugs and vaccines.

Talks and videos from the team

TEDx Talk: Do deep sea sponges hold the key to antibiotic resistance? The solution to antibiotic resistance may lie deep under the surface of the ocean, in dark, cold environments where weird and wonderful sponges live.

Discovering new antibiotics in the deep sea Matthew Koch, PhD student in the Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens Research Group, on how deep-sea sponges could lead to new antibiotics.