We are studying how antibiotics bind to the bacterial ribosome, and how resistance is conferred by enzymes that methylate the ribosomal RNA. A major aim is to design novel antimicrobials that bind strongly and inhibit the ribosomes of pathogenic bacteria despite their resistance to current antibiotics.
Publications
Liu & Douthwaite: Resistance to the macrolide antibiotic tylosin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2002, 99, 14658-14663.
Lebars et al.: Structure of rRNA hairpin and interaction with the tylosin-resistance methyltransferase RlmAII. EMBO J. 2003, 22, 183-192.
Poehlsgaard & Douthwaite: Macrolide antibiotic interaction and resistance on the bacterial ribosome. Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs, 2003, 4, 140-148.