21DSG28
Doctoral Thesis
Project commenced:Essie Van Zuylen (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu), University of Otago
The purpose of this PhD project is to identify and characterise new drugs which are effective against obligate anaerobic pathogens. Our research is focused on three bacterial pathogens: Fusobacterium nucleatum, Fusobacterium necrophorum, and Clostridiodes difficile. Fusobacterium spp. are known to cause disease in both humans and livestock, including foot rot in hooved animals.
Additionally, C. difficile is a hospital-acquired human pathogen which is difficult to treat and eradicate from hospital environments. These anaerobic pathogens urgently require new forms of treatment. Our aims are to characterise the antibacterial mechanism of action of the repurposed Zn-transporting ionophore, PBT2, against both Fusobacterium species. Additionally, we are exploring new inhibitors of C. difficile by repurposing naturally produced (plant-derived) compounds as antibacterials.
The objective of this research is to identify compounds which hold potential as new therapeutics in the treatment of anaerobic infections through identification of novel antibacterial modes of action.