r/IAmA • u/Ash_Winter_UoBris • 7d ago
I’m a scientist studying tiny bacterial ‘assembly lines’ that make antibiotics. Could they be used to design new medicines and combat antimicrobial resistance? AMA!
Edit: Thanks for your questions, they were great. I am no longer online but I'll check in on the AMA so keep those questions coming!
Hi r/IAmA, I’m Ash Winter, a scientist studying how bacteria make natural products, including those used as essential antibiotics that can be used to treat disease in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
Bacterial cells contain remarkable protein ‘assembly lines’ that can build complex molecules. My job is to work out how these microscopic factories work.
A major focus of my research has been mupirocin, an antibiotic used clinically to treat infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, especially those that are resistant to methicillin. I explore the protein assembly lines that make this and investigate the chemistry these proteins perform and how the different parts of the assembly line work together.
If we can understand the blueprint behind these natural products, we may be able to redesign these biological ‘assembly lines’ to make new therapeutic products.
You can ask me anything about:
- How bacteria make antibiotics
- What antimicrobial resistance means for the medicines we rely on
- How you investigate proteins and chemistry that are far too small to see
- The remarkable “assembly lines” inside bacterial cells
- How scientists can redesign natural products to create potential new medicines
I'll be online today from 14:30-15:30 GMT to answer your questions live so AMA! You don't need to know any biology or chemistry to take part, I’m happy to explain the science.