Freddy Langendonk

 

Background

I am currently studying for my PhD at the University of Liverpool in the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences. I started my undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University in Suzhou, China. After I finished my first year of my undergraduate degree, I transferred to the University of Liverpool where I specialised in Microbiology. My undergraduate project focussed on the resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to contact lens disinfectants and the possibility of tolerance development.

Project

P. aeruginosa is a major cause of hospital acquired infections and the leading cause of death in people with cystic fibrosis. P. aeruginosa is one of three species of bacteria listed by the WHO as a priority one pathogen for which progress against the rising tide of antimicrobial resistance is most urgently required. Previous research from my project supervisors demonstrated that the pmrB sensor kinase of the pmrAB two-component regulatory system in P. aeruginosa is important for resistance against a range of antibiotics, with different mechanisms of action, that are currently used to treat P. aeruginosa infections. My project involves identifying a pmrB inhibitor to reverse antibiotic resistance, rendering P. aeruginosa susceptible to conventional antibiotic treatment.