Diana Gong (LAUFFENBURGER and BRYSON LABS)

Investigating Host Efferocytosis Mechanisms in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection

Tuberculosis is a leading cause of infectious disease mortality. Lung macrophage death is prominent in tuberculosis, but how the clearance of these dying cells, through a form of phagocytosis called efferocytosis, influences the course of disease is poorly understood. Here we present preliminary data that validate an in vitro system for studying efferocytosis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of macrophages. We have begun to probe the role of a particular family of efferocytosis-mediating receptors, the Tyro3/Axl/Mer (TAM) receptors, in this infection model.

Megan Tse (BLAINEY LAB)

Pipeline for the Discovery of Antibiotic Combinations Against the Gram-negative ESKAPE Pathogens

The antibiotic resistance crisis demands new antibacterial therapies. However, no new antibiotic classes effective against the gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens have been brought into clinical use in the last few decades. Antibacterial combination therapies are a promising alternative. Here, we present a high-throughput pipeline for antibacterial combination discovery. We highlight our novel discovery platform, the identification of a broad-spectrum potentiator, and new putative compound hits for sensitizing pathogens for antibacterial therapies.