Phenotypic biosensor-based HTS and mode of action analysis by metabolomics and transcriptomics for enhancing antimicrobial drug discovery against Gram-negative bacteria

Infectious diseases are still one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the need for new antimicrobials is evident. Novel compounds with potential antimicrobial properties are continuously discovered, for example from natural products, but in many cases found activities are not being characterised beyond the initial discovery phase. This is most of all due to the lack of methods for elucidating the mode of action (MoA). We aim to develop predictive tools for pathway and MoA elucidation and for follow-up studies, and to validate the overall process by studying compounds with unknown MoA. The active agents potentially identified may provide experimental tools or antimicrobial lead compounds for applications for human and/or animal use. Importantly, the project will provide fast and efficient tools to carry initial findings forward towards becoming truly significant new antimicrobial compounds for the fight against microbial diseases.