Effects of Gallium-Desferrioxamine Compounds on Bacteria
Effects of Gallium-Desferrioxamine Compounds on Bacteria
Files
Publication or External Link
Date
2015
Authors
Ahmed, Mohammad
Brode, Emily
Brown, Thomas
Eltoweissy, Somayah
Gross, Stephanie
Markowitz, Seth
McCutchen, Michael
Portney, Reed
Reinhart, Jacob
Salgado, Cristian
Advisor
Woodard, Ben
Citation
DRUM DOI
Abstract
Over 70% of nosocomial infections in the United States are resistant to one or
more traditional antibiotics, necessitating research for alternative treatment options. This
study aims to chelate gallium (Ga) onto a bacterial siderophore, desferrioxamine (DFO),
to retard bacterial growth. By exploiting natural bacterial pathways, metal-siderophore
treatments are hypothesized to circumvent traditional resistance mechanisms.
Additionally, the GaDFO complex will be tested against several bacterial species to
determine the specificity of DFO uptake. This research aims to prove the feasibility of
siderophore piracy as an alternative to antibiotics. In showing the feasibility of
siderophore piracy mechanisms, this research will enable the development of future
avenues for protecting against resistant nosocomial infections.