New antibiotics from the microbial dark matter

75fbc67b3fbc833c506525bd6aee2fe1 Northeastern University {"start": "2017-02-15T20:00:00", "end": "2017-02-15T21:00:00"} k.lewis@neu.edu

Kim Lewis, Ph.D.
Lewis, Kim, Ph.D. University Distinguished Professor, Biology Director, Antimicrobial Discovery Center

Our laboratory studies persister cells and uncultured bacteria. Persisters are dormant variants of regular cells which are tolerant to antibiotics and responsible for recalcitrance of biofilm infections. We identified a number of mechanisms for persister formation, and the first compound that kills them, acyldepsipeptide. Uncultured bacteria make up the majority of species on the planet, but do not grow in the lab. We developed a general method to grow these organisms by cultivation in their natural environment. In marine sediment, siderophores from neighbors serve as growth factors for uncultured bacteria. We have recently identified growth factors for uncultured bacteria from the human microbiome. We also use uncultured bacteria as a source for discovering new antibiotics.

https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=21817 http://www.northeastern.edu/adc/