Investigating the Biosynthesis and Mode-of-Action of Antibiotic Lasso Peptides
Name of applicant
Thomas Tørring
Title
Associate Professor
Institution
Aarhus University
Amount
DKK 4,997,807
Year
2022
Type of grant
Semper Ardens: Accelerate
What?
We have found a unique lasso peptide that appears to be made in a completely new way and with very potent antibiotic activity against mycobacteria. We want to study how it is made and how it kills mycobacteria.
Why?
Lasso peptides are a class of natural product with large pharmaceutical potential because of their broad scope of bioactivity and their remarkable stability towards heat and enzyme degradation. It we can understand how they are made and work, we can exploit it to make new lasso peptides as drug leads.
How?
We will genetically engineer the natural producer, Streptomyces triculaminicus, to identify which genes are involved in the biosynthesis, and to make it produce new variants. These can be used to investigate how it works.