Bacterial membranes in life and death: Determining the effects of antimicrobials and mutations on the membrane of Bacillus subtilis PhD

In the recent past, antibiotics were seen as miracle drugs - a visit to the doctor was often accompanied with a prescription even though it was not clear the patient suffered from a bacterial infection. Overuse and misuse, also in agriculture, of antibiotics have led us to an era where many bacterial pathogens have developed resistance to antibiotics. Research today strives to develop effective antibiotics that combat resistant bacterial strains while minimizing toxicity to humans.
This thesis primarily focuses on developing antibacterial agents by utilizing different methods. Sometimes we looked back at the past to use available knowledge of metal based antimicrobials, whereas at other instances we found antimicrobial active ingredients from natural sources. Our work mainly highlights the effectiveness of gold-based compounds and naturally sourced compounds called non-ribosomal peptides as potential new antibiotics. These compounds significantly impact the membrane of bacteria, with some gold compounds also being effective against drug-resistant bacteria. What remains to be a concern for some of these compounds is that they may also prove to be toxic for mammals such as humans.
The techniques used to study the effects of antibiotics on membranes can also be used to study fundamental aspects of bacterial biology. We explored how specific genetic mutations in bacteria, that impact on the membrane, affect the cell shape of bacteria. Further investigation is needed to understand how different environmental conditions affect the bacterial membrane and what the role of the genetic mutations is in membrane function.