The continuing rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria is a global problem prompting renewed calls for urgent action from both the scientific and medical communities. By gaining an in-depth understanding of how nature makes bioactive compounds (biosynthesis), our ultimate goal is to produce a multiplicity of high value products, in particular new antibiotics, from simple starting materials by re-engineering natural systems. Our focus is on a class of naturally occurring bioactive microbial compounds known as polyketides.

This interdisciplinary research programme will give insights into one of nature’s most complex biosynthetic assemblies and have significant impact on many molecular architectures and drug targets.

Project lead: Professor Chris Willis (isolation, structure elucidation and synthesis)

Project team: Professor Tom Simpson (bioorganic chemistry); Dr Paul Race (protein engineering and structural biology); Professor Matt Crump (protein NMR) and Dr John Crosby (enzymology and MS)