antibiotic resistance
Vanderbilt researcher Houra Merrikh named a finalist of the 2020 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists, inducted to New York Academy of Sciences
Jun. 17, 2020—Biochemist Houra Merrikh has been named one of the nation’s rising stars in science for her work to reverse antimicrobial resistance.
The adaptable anthrax bacterium
May. 14, 2020—Vanderbilt researchers discover how anthrax bacterium defends itself against structural damage and resists the toxicity of the antimicrobial drug targocil.
Zinc uptake by a deadly pathogen
Jan. 13, 2020—The increasingly antibiotic-resistant bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii requires zinc to cause infection, and Vanderbilt researchers have identified the zinc uptake system it uses.
New staph virulence factor
Jun. 28, 2018—The new factor, an enzyme involved in host-pathogen interactions, may be a viable target for treating staph infections.
Novel infection fighter
Jun. 13, 2018—A drug in use clinically to help make vaccines more effective may be a powerful new tool for fighting antibiotic-resistant infections.
Bacterial signaling systems
Feb. 3, 2017—Vanderbilt researchers have identified a unique example of communication between bacterial signaling systems, which may have relevance for antibiotic resistance.
Membrane fats impact drug transporter
Jul. 14, 2016—New studies of a membrane transporter could explain antibiotic resistance – and lead to novel ways to combat it.
Slight chemical change may improve TB treatments: study
Feb. 11, 2016—One small chemical change to an existing antibacterial drug results in a compound that is more effective against its target enzyme in tuberculosis, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
Dynamics of a drug resistance transporter
Feb. 5, 2016—Vanderbilt investigators are exploring the shape changes in a multidrug transporter to understand the mechanisms of antibacterial resistance.
Bridging the antibiotic gap
Aug. 7, 2015—Vanderbilt researchers have discovered how certain molecules with antibiotic properties are synthesized, findings that could lead to new drugs that overcome the increased antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Vanderbilt-led multi-center study looks at antibiotic choice for treating childhood pneumonia
Jun. 22, 2015—New Vanderbilt-led research shows hospitals are doing a better job of using antibiotics less commonly associated with antibiotic resistance to treat children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
Life’s extremists may be an untapped source of antibacterial drugs
Nov. 21, 2014—A family of single-celled organisms that thrive in environments too extreme for most other species to survive may be an untapped source of new antibacterial drugs.