Elucidating the safety and efficacy profiles of hypervalent antimicrobial agents towards combatting antibiotic resistance

Recent global events have shed light on the vulnerabilities within our health care systems. Undoubtedly, unpreparedness in the face of a global crisis will lead to disastrous repercussions. The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance is hailed as a pandemic in the making. As the antibiotics drug development pipeline dwindles, effective solutions to combat antimicrobial resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria are urgently needed. Here, we evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy and safety profile of a novel library of hypervalent antimicrobial agents. We explore the susceptibility of pathogenic bacterium, including resistant clinical isolates, in parallel with in-vitro cytotoxicity assays towards determining leading antimicrobial candidates. Working with a multidisciplinary team, the outcomes from this study will translate directly from bench to bedside resulting in the development of novel medical devices to combat antimicrobial resistance in a health care setting.

Faculty Supervisor:

Cezar Khursigara

Student:

Carlie Goodall

Partner:

Exciton Technologies Inc.

Discipline:

Biochemistry / Molecular biology

Sector:

University:

University of Guelph

Program: