A new interdisciplinary research project will directly observe and quantify proton transfer and diffusion events on the surface of live bacterial membranes. This fundamental biophysical process is central to cellular energy generation and drug response, but has historically been inaccessible to live imaging.
Led by Professor Nadav Amdursky, the £1.2m project funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) will introduce a new experimental system utilising novel membrane-tethered fluorescent probes.
These probes function as light - triggered switches allowing researchers to precisely initiate and monitor proton movement. Due to their sensitivity to the surrounding membrane's biophysical properties, these probes serve as an ultrasensitive tool to use inside the living cell. This project marks their first application in a living organism, using the model Bacillus subtilis.
The research team will divide the project into two distinct phases. The first part will focus on exploring the bacterial membrane bioenergetics and offer fundamental new biophysical insights for the aerobic respiration process, which is why we breadth.
In the second part, the team will then apply findings to the challenge of bacterial sensitivity to membrane-targeting antibacterial compounds.
The project ultimately aims to advance the understanding of how this important class of antimicrobial compounds operates, potentially providing foundational knowledge for the development of new therapeutics.
I am highly thrilled to start this journey. This will be the first time that our molecular technology will go from in vitro studies to in vivo systems. I am looking forward to seeing the results, which will enable a unique observation of processes happening on the membrane during respiration.
Professor Nadav Amdursky