Synthetic antimicrobials based on natural toxins

Tuberculosis remains the deadliest bacterial disease on the planet, killing around 1.5 million people each year. It can be treated, but antibiotic resistance is increasing. Mycobacterium tuberculosis can survive antibiotic treatment by slowing down its growth using naturally occurring toxins made inside tuberculosis cells. Some of these toxins target the essential process of untangling DNA after it replicates. We have characterised the enzyme that performs the activity of separating new DNA chromosomes, and have shown that toxins inhibit its action. Now we aim to generate atomic resolution models of toxin activity, so we can generate antimicrobial mimics for treating infections.