Antibiotic resistance and sensing by the BceAB family of Type VII ABC transporters
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Warwick Medical School
Abstract
Programme overview:
This MRC-funded doctoral training partnership (DTP) brings together cutting-edge molecular and analytical sciences with innovative computational approaches in data analysis to enable students to address hypothesis-led biomedical research questions. This is a 4-year programme whose first year involves a series of taught modules and two laboratory-based research projects that lead to an MSc in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research. The first two terms consist of a selection of taught modules that allow students to gain a solid grounding in multidisciplinary science. Students also attend a series of masterclasses led by academic and industry experts in areas of molecular, cellular and tissue dynamics, microbiology and infection, applied biomedical technologies and artificial intelligence and data science. During the third and summer terms students conduct two eleven-week research projects in labs of their choice.
Project overview:
The BceAB family of Type VII ABC transporters are found in many bacterial pathogens where they provide resistance to membrane-attacking antibiotics such as bacitracin, vancomycin and nisin. Examples of such pathogens include: Streptococcus mutans - a cause of dental disease; Streptococcus agalactiae - a cause of neonatal sepsis; and Staphylococcus aureus - a pathogen for which vancomycin resistance is a growing concern.
BceAB family transporters are also involved in sensing the presence of environmental antibiotics, triggering an intracellular signalling cascade that increases resistance during times of antibiotic challenge.
This PhD project aims to understand the mechanism of BceAB family transporters through a combination of structural biology and computational methods.
This interdisciplinary PhD project will develop student skills in computational biology and experimental structural biology and directly aligns with the Medical Research Council's strategic priority in tackling antimicrobial resistance.
This MRC-funded doctoral training partnership (DTP) brings together cutting-edge molecular and analytical sciences with innovative computational approaches in data analysis to enable students to address hypothesis-led biomedical research questions. This is a 4-year programme whose first year involves a series of taught modules and two laboratory-based research projects that lead to an MSc in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research. The first two terms consist of a selection of taught modules that allow students to gain a solid grounding in multidisciplinary science. Students also attend a series of masterclasses led by academic and industry experts in areas of molecular, cellular and tissue dynamics, microbiology and infection, applied biomedical technologies and artificial intelligence and data science. During the third and summer terms students conduct two eleven-week research projects in labs of their choice.
Project overview:
The BceAB family of Type VII ABC transporters are found in many bacterial pathogens where they provide resistance to membrane-attacking antibiotics such as bacitracin, vancomycin and nisin. Examples of such pathogens include: Streptococcus mutans - a cause of dental disease; Streptococcus agalactiae - a cause of neonatal sepsis; and Staphylococcus aureus - a pathogen for which vancomycin resistance is a growing concern.
BceAB family transporters are also involved in sensing the presence of environmental antibiotics, triggering an intracellular signalling cascade that increases resistance during times of antibiotic challenge.
This PhD project aims to understand the mechanism of BceAB family transporters through a combination of structural biology and computational methods.
This interdisciplinary PhD project will develop student skills in computational biology and experimental structural biology and directly aligns with the Medical Research Council's strategic priority in tackling antimicrobial resistance.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MR/N014294/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 2269717 | Studentship | MR/N014294/1 | 01/10/2019 | 01/01/2024 |