RESEARCH
Antimicrobial resistance
Mechanisms of multidrug efflux pumps
Emergence of antimicrobial resistance
Antibiotic resistance arises when bacteria gain the ability to survive under antibiotic stress. We are interested in the tools used by bacteria on their path to resistance. This will help us develop new tools to slow and limit the emergence of antibiotic resistance.
Biogenesis of bacterial multidrug efflux pumps
Efflux pumps are complex biomolecules that need to be synthesised by bacteria, targeted and inserted into the membrane, folded, and (in some cases) form macromolecular assemblies. We are interested in the fundamental mechanisms underlying these processes and how they are coordinated in bacteria. This will help develop novel strategies to mitigate efflux pumps and the role they play in resistance.
Dynamics of bacterial multidrug efflux pumps
Drug efflux from bacteria is coupled to energy input from the cell through conformational changes in efflux pumps. We investigate conformational dynamics in efflux pumps to better understand how this coupling is coordinated across biological membranes. New insights will reveal how mutations and inhibitors can impact drug efflux.