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Screening indigenous flora for novel
anti-microbial compounds - Traditional screening assays to uncover
"resistance-reversers"
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Wandile Laboratories (Pty) Ltd |
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Proposal number: |
41239 |
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Focal area: |
Biotechnology |
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Total funding: |
R 9,000,000 |
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Funding year 1: |
R 3,000,000 |
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Funding year 2: |
R 3,000,000 |
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Funding year 3: |
R 3,000,000 |
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Our proposal aims to address the problem of acquired multiple
drug resistance by screening for compounds whose net effect is to
reverse resistance to normally used antibiotics. Through the power
of modern biotechnology, drug "resistance-determinants"
have been identified and validated and include:
- Microbial hydrolytic enzymes (e.g. beta-lactamases)
that are largely responsible for acquired drug resistance in a
number of gram positive and gram-negative bacilli;
- Drug-modifying enzymes such as aminoglycoside
acyl transferases which are responsible for drug resistance to
the entire family of aminoglycosides by enterococci and
gram-negative bacilli;
- Drug-efflux systems, which induce drug
resistance by shunting drugs out of cells before they reach
their effective targets. This mechanism is largely responsible
tetracycline and fluoroquinolone resistance; and
- Altered drug targets, wherein the drug target
has been altered thereby preventing the drug from having its
desired effect.
Our strategy is to use traditional screening
techniques to search for novel compounds contained in indigenous
flora that will inhibit the action of the above-mentioned
biochemical targets.
Another approach adopted by this consortium
involves the identification and validation of microbial histidine
kinase genes as targets for the high throughput screening of
extracts from indigenous flora. |
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Project Coordinator: |
Dr Kevin M Mossie
Phone: +27 (0)11 622 8530
Email: mxolisi@iafrica.com |
Public reports / Newsletters:
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