Potentiation and repurposing of macrolide antimicrobials against Gram-negative pathogens for clinical applications in human and veterinary medicine

The development of improved antibacterial strategies is an important global challenge. This project aims to potentiate the activity of non-critical macrolide antibiotics to the degree that they can be used to replace the use of critical antibiotics in clinical use in human and veterinary medicine, e.g., colistin. This aim will be achieved by complexing and conjugating macrolide antibiotics with peptide mimics (peptidomimetics) and antimicrobial polymers, building on strong in vitro evidence in our laboratories. The antibacterial, immunomodulatory and microbiome effects will be tested in vitro and in vivo, and by using cell systems and porcine and/or avian models.