Metabolic targeting of bacteria through complex carbohydrates and siderophores

Principal investigators: Andreas Faust, Silke Niemann
Former principal investigator: Ryan Gilmour
Project number: CRC 1450 A04
Project term: 01/2021–12/2028

Graphical abstract
© CRC inSight

Life-threatening bacterial infections often have a non-specific clinical presentation. We aim to develop reliable diagnostic tools that enable the differentiation between sterile inflammation and bacterial infection (1). Therefore, we will design radiolabelled specific imaging probes based on oligosaccharides which are selectively taken up by prokaryotes (2). We will thereby optimize uptake and trapping efficiency in bacteria and metabolic stability in the blood.

The tracers will be evaluated in vitro in gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains (3) and in murine infection models in vivo, such as a vascular graft infection model (4). Other tracers and methods developed within this CRC to image activated leukocytes or to track labelled ER-HoxB8 cells will be used for correlative studies. This will prepare for a transfer of our new bacteria tracers to future clinical diagnostics (5).

Team

Principal investigators

Project member

Publications

The names of the principal investigators in our network have been bolded. Publications released prior to 2021, when funding for our network commenced, represent previous project-related work.