The University of Nottingham has received funding for research to understand antibiotic resistance at its roots.
The School of Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham is part of a team to be awarded a major BBSRC sLoLa grant to push the frontiers of discovery in microbiology and antibiotic resistance.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is investing more than £20 million in four ambitious projects that are funded through BBSRC's Strategic Longer and Larger (sLoLa) grants scheme. These projects represent a long-term commitment to curiosity-driven research that has the potential to transform our understanding of biology and spark innovation across sectors.
Scientists from the University of Nottingham are part of a project led by the University of Birmingham entitled 'Understanding the rules of impermeability in Gram negative bacteria'. They will explore how antibiotics penetrate the outer defences of Gram-negative bacteria, a key step in tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The Nottingham team will lead the mass spectrometry-based metabolomics components of the programme. The team will develop advanced analytical methods to quantify and map how antibiotics accumulate inside bacterial cells and biofilms under different infection-relevant conditions.
By uncovering how infection conditions influence antibiotic uptake, the team aims to open new avenues for developing more effective treatments and diagnostics.
Antibiotic resistance remains one of the most urgent global health challenges. By combining cutting-edge analytical mass spectrometry with microbiology and mathematical modelling, this programme will allow us to uncover how pathogenic bacteria control the uptake and accumulation of antibiotics. These insights will be crucial for developing more effective treatments and improving how existing antibiotics are used in the clinic."
Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, BBSRC Executive Chair, said: "Long-term investments through our sLoLa scheme brings researchers with different expertise together to collaboratively pursue questions whose answers may reshape our understanding of the living world."
