Research Information
- O.U.R. Research Program: Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (UGRAP)
- Major(s): Biology and Microbiology
- Anticipated graduation year: Spring 2021
- Title: Lipid A Modification Confer Carbapenem Tolerance in Escherichia coli
- Faculty Research Mentor: Dr. Joseph Boll
- Faculty Academic Department: Biology
Abstract
The UN currently estimates that over 700,000 deaths occur annually from bacterial treatment failure, and this number is number is rapidly increasing. An explanation for this treatment failure can be attributed to antibiotic tolerance. Antibiotic tolerance is defined as the ability of susceptible bacteria to temporarily survive exposure to bactericidal antibiotics, such as carbapenem β-lactams, at normally lethal concentrations. Upon exposure to “last-line” carbapenem β-lactam antibiotics tolerant bacteria have been reported forming unstable cells that lack a cell wall, known as spheroplasts. These cells tend to have an osmotically disrupted outer membrane that interestingly contradicts their survivability in dangerous environments like the human body. A factor that contributes to membrane stability in susceptible and resistant cells is molecular additions to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core molecule; lipid A. This presumably rigidifies and impermeabilizes the outer membrane thus possibly preventing cell lysis. This relationship has been linked to tolerant bacteria, however the exact moieties that are added on to lipid A have not been identified. Herein we investigated what compounds are added to the outer membrane to mediate carbapenem tolerance.