Prof. Slotboom co-applicant in awarded ZonMw project application

Prof. Dirk Slotboom of the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB) is co-applicant in a ZonMw project application that receives a grant of EUR 750,000. The awarded grant is for the project 'Understanding the antibiotic transport channels of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: peeping through the wall'. Slotboom will receive EUR 375,000 for his part in the project.

The aim of the study is to determine the mode-of-action of a new antibiotic compound discovered in Prof. Wilbert Bitter’s group (VUMC) that affects the integrity of the bacterial cell wall. The cell-wall mediated antibiotic resistance in M. tuberculosis is a major bottleneck in tuberculosis drug-development. Particularly interesting are so-called PPE proteins that form a channel in the cell wall, for which the structure-function relationships and interactions with the antimicrobial compounds will be determined.

Slotboom will not only use his expertise in membrane protein structure and function analysis and solute transport across biological membranes, but will also study the interaction of the new antibiotic compound with the PPE-transport system.

ZonMw

ZonMw is the Dutch organization for health care research and innovation. ZonMw finances health research and encourages the use of the knowledge developed – in order to improve healthcare.