Discovery and characterization of a new platform of drugs to address multi-drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria

The evolving resistance of pathogenic (bad) bacteria to antibiotics is already causing a large number of illnesses and deaths not only in Canada but throughout the world. Countries are calling desperately for new drugs to address these bacteria that are becoming untreatable by current drugs. Viotika Life Sciences has identified a new platform of drugs that may circumvent this resistance and save lives in the process. In this application, the company wants to partner with Mitacs to support two postdoctoral interns to test a variety of structural derivatives of their lead compound to determine which of the drugs they have synthesized is best to kill specific bacteria and which has the least side effects.

Faculty Supervisor:

Delfin Rodriguez-Leyva

Student:

Craig Resch;Muntahi Mourin

Partner:

Viotika Life Sciences Inc.

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Manitoba