2021 MEETING
The ABX Winter 2021 Virtual Meeting
The second ABX meeting was held over Zoom on the 17th December 2021.
Originally planned to be a “blended” meeting (both in person and virtually) we decided, given the situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and Omicron infections, to host the meeting in a fully virtual format.
This decision was made in the interest and safety of all members, and fortunately the meeting proved to be a great success!
We are looking forward to the next meeting, to continue highlighting the scope of collaborative potential within the world of antibiotic discovery in the UK, and beyond.
Presentations
The presentations from the meeting are available to view below. For more information on each speaker, click on the titles in the programme to go to the YouTube link. The flash talks provide researchers with an opportunity to briefly showcase their work.
Main Talks 2021
Main Talks 2021
Professor Chris Dowson – University of Warwick
Dr Amy McLeman – Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Benjamin Lewis (PhD student) – King's College London
Flash Talks 2021
Flash Talks 2021
Antonia Molloy - Aston University
Alazhar Colombowala - Anglia Ruskin University
Rushiil Ravichandran - Trinity College Dublin
Poster Presentations
Menaka Menikpurage Kudzai Hwengwere
ABX Winter Meeting Programme 2021
Friday 17th December 2021
10:00 - 10:10
Introduction
Professor Mat Upton
Professor of Medical Microbiology – University of Plymouth
10:10 - 10:20
Eliciting antimicrobial production using low level antibiotics
Dr Amy McLeman
Postdoctoral Research Associate – Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
10:20 - 10:30
Old drug with new (re)purposes: Thioridazine as a new effective antimicrobial
Dr Daniela Alves Ferreira
Postdoctoral Fellow – Trinity College Dublin
10:30 - 10:50
Antibiotics: New approaches required to address a failed market and failing research landscape?
Professor Chris Dowson
Professor of Microbiology – University of Warwick
10:50 - 11:00
Flash talks:
Applying droplet fluidics for tuberculosis drug discovery
Antonia Molloy
PhD Student – Aston University
The discovery and characterisation of antimicrobials that enhance pyrazinamide activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Eleanor Porges
PhD Student – UK Health Security Agency
Molecular mechanisms of spirotetronate antibiotic biosynthesis
Rebecca Clayton
PhD Student – The University of Warwick
11:00 - 11:05
Break
11:05 - 11:15
A switch in focus: targeting AcrA dynamics to inhibit the AcrAB-TolC multidrug efflux pump
Benjamin Lewis
PhD student – King's College London
11:15 - 11:25
Altering adeABC Antibiotic Sensitivity Response with Quadruplex DNA
Chisom Meludu
PhD Candidate - Anglia Ruskin University
11:25 - 11:35
Defining the role of efflux in bacterial biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance to develop new treatments for infection
Vicky Bennett
PhD student - University of Bath
11:35 - 11:45
In vitro efficacy of relebactam versus avibactam against Mycobacterium abscessus complex
Dr James Harrison
Postdoctoral Researcher– Aston University
11:45 - 11:55
Antimicrobial resistance associated with Northern Irish calf houses
Katie Lawther
PhD student – Queen's University Belfast
11:55 - 12:05
Flash talks:
Investigation into bacterial siderophores and their uses as novel therapeutics
Alazhar Colombowala
Research Assistant – Anglia Ruskin University
Innate Immune Factors as Antibiotic Replacements
Rushiil Ravichandran
IRC Enterprise Partnership Scholar – Trinity College Dublin
Macrophage-induced persisters; developing a scaffold for testing novel compounds against phenotypically resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Suzie-Hingley-Wilson
Lecturer in Bacteriology – University of Surrey
12:05 - 12:10
Break
12:10 - 12:20
Marine natural products as a source of new or novel antimicrobials – investigating hosts and microbial symbionts as producers
Dr Grant Garren January
Research Fellow – University of Plymouth
12:20 - 12:30
Marine derived Streptomyces microflavus producing antimicrobial compounds active against Gram positive pathogens
Jazz Conway
PhD Student – University of Plymouth
12:30 - 12:40
High-throughput approaches to chemotype and phenotype Pseudomonas aeruginosa (and other bacteria)
Hannah Doherty
PhD student – University of Birmingham
12:40 - 12:50
Prevalence of multidrug resistance in Pseudomonas spp. Isolated from wild bird faeces in an urban aquatic environment
Dr Caray Walker
Senior Lecturer in Microbiology – Anglia Ruskin University
12:50 - 13:00
Flash talks:
Using Microbiome-derived antimicrobials to treat Acinetobacter baumannii
Peter Alexander
Postgraduate Research Student – Queen's University Belfast
Mapping Antarctic Marine Biodiversity: the diversity of microbes and antimicrobial discovery
Kudzai Hwengwere
PhD Candidate – Anglia Ruskin University, University of Plymouth, and British Antarctic Survey
13:00 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 13:40
Developing novel antibacterial agents targeting bacterial DNA gyrase
Professor Tony Maxwell
Group Leader – John Innes Centre
13:40 - 13:50
Chemoenzymatic synthesis of NDP sugars as chemical biology tools to explore the GDP-D-mannose dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Professor Gavin Miller
Professor of Biological Chemistry – Keele University
13:50 - 14:00
Antimicrobial efficacy of XF-73 against Gram-positive microorganisms
Isabella Romeo-Melody
PhD Student – Aston University
14:00 - 14:30
(New) Pathways to antibiotic approval: Implications for R&D
Dr John Rex
Editor-in-Chief – AMR Solutions
14:30 - 14:45
Questions
14:45 - 16:00
Discussion to end
16:00
Finish