Antibiotic resistance is a well-known medical and public health challenge. New antibiotics are required that will be active against certain types of bacteria identified as crucial targets of antibiotic development by the World Health Organization (ESKAPE). This program is led by Drs. François Malouin and the late Éric Marsault from the Université de Sherbrooke.
By first focusing on a group of analogs derived from the natural product tomatidine and subsequently looking at a second group of compounds, this program will optimize and characterize molecules capable of selectively inhibiting bacterial ATP synthase activity. The molecules will have to demonstrate a broad-spectrum bactericide effect without being toxic to human cells.