Metal-containing scaffolds as lethality drivers to induce redox-related bacterial killing

We want to construct new-to-nature antibiotics based on novel scaffolds, with new mechanisms of action, to thwart treatment escape through pre-existing resistance mechanisms. The investigation of inorganic and organometallic compounds as antibiotics holds great promises as it is an untapped source of novel structural as well as mechanistic features. In contrast to conventional small molecules, metal complexes provide several key advantages such as their capability of producing lethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) under physiological conditions. The project will combine cutting-edge chemical synthesis, in-depth molecular characterisation, biochemical assays (Hess Lab, The Francis Crick Institute), with studies on mechanisms of action and advanced electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy (Roessler Lab, Imperial College)