Antimicrobial Peptides and Probiotic Bacteria
Research in this group focuses on the discovery, development, and mode of action of novel antimicrobial peptides, as well as the molecular elucidation of the beneficial properties of probiotic bacteria for potential applications in agriculture and medicine. A multidisciplinary approach is employed to identify, characterise, and produce new and more effective antimicrobial peptides and probiotics by combining bioinformatics, bioprospecting, synthetic and molecular biology techniques.
Current research activities include:
The development of heterologous protein expression systems to improve the production of post-translationally modified cationic peptides. These systems are currently being used to produce novel lanthipeptides identified through next-generation sequence data. Lanthipeptides are natural compounds produced by bacteria that can kill or inhibit harmful microbes, including antibiotic-resistant and pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium spp.
- Exploring the potential of lanthipeptides in treating metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity.\
- Investigating the potential of safe and beneficial probiotic strains as platforms for next-generation probiotic vaccine development and as plant growth promoters in agriculture.