Characterising Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus membrane proteins

"Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global health threat, potentially causing 10 million deaths annually by 2050. Current antibiotic development is insufficient, requiring novel treatments for Gram-negative infections. One strategy involves using predatory bacteria like Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus (B. bacteriovorus) as ""living antibiotics.""B. bacteriovorus engages in endobiotic predation, invading prey's periplasm. B. bacteriovorus has an attack phase where it searches for prey and a growth phase where it invades, replicates, and exits prey, consuming prey within 3-4 hours. The flagellum aids movement, while pili are essential for predation. The predator releases enzymes to break down prey, forming a nutrient pool for growth, and releases 4-6 progeny per prey cell. In vivo studies show B. bacteriovorus as an effective biocontrol agent without significant harm to animal models, suggesting its potential as a living antibiotic for combating AMR and enhancing human health.
Focusing on outer membrane proteins (OMPs), this project will investigate their roles in the predatory lifecycle. These structural insights will help infer the functional roles of these proteins in predation and their interactions with prey cells. "