“CLEAR”: Cell Envelope Antibacterials

The discovery of penicillin initiated the antibiotic era and saved millions from dying of life-threatening bacterial infections such as tuberculosis, sepsis, and pneumonia.

Penicillin kills bacteria by inhibiting synthesis of peptidoglycan, an important structure of the bacterial cell envelope. Still today, antibiotics targeting the bacterial cell envelope are the most widely used antibiotics in the world.

Unfortunately, resistance to these superior antibiotics is becoming highly prevalent and antibiotic-resistant bacteria represent one of the greatest threats to human health and development today.

In the CLEAR (Cell Envelope Anti-bacterials) training network, world-leading researchers from academia have gathered with clinicians and 4 highly relevant SME partners to train a new generation of excellent European scientists in finding novel solutions for targeting the cell envelope of bacteria, who know how findings in academia generate assets to SMEs, and who could bring novel antimicrobial solutions to the market.

The proposed research program builds on unique findings of the project partners that allow us to take up innovative and yet feasible approaches 1) to identify novel targets in the cell envelope and to evaluate the lead structure potential of novel agents acting on the cell envelope, 2) to re-sensitize resistant bacteria to existing cell wall antibiotics, 3) and to explore novel therapies acting via the cell envelope.

Impacts of this proposal are the re-use of safe and cheap antibiotics, and the drugs already approved for treatment of other diseases as novel antimicrobials.

The training program combines a broad range of scientific disciplines such as molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, screening technologies, pre-clinical testing with complementary courses in innovation, market potential and business strategies ensuring that the 10 PhDs will be highly competitive for both top European research institutions and the pharma/biotech job market.