About This Project

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been responsible for over 700,000 deaths in 2016, with an estimated €50 billion in lost productivity and healthcare. By 2050 AMR could result in 10,000,000 deaths and 100 trillion in lost productivity. New drug discovery is urgently needed to tackle AMR. The goal of VIDAA is to investigate the potential of invertebrate venom peptides as a novel source of antimicrobial compounds and to understand their mode of action.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The World Health Organisation lists antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the most urgent medical crises to be addressed. Globally, AMR has been responsible for over 700,000 deaths in 2016, and did cost an estimated €50 billion in lost productivity and healthcare. If remedial measures are not rapidly taken, AMR may result in excess of 10,000,000 deaths and 100 trillion in lost productivity by 2050.

The widespread use of unspecific antimicrobial agents in all aspects of human society (from animal feed to human healthcare) has lead to the selection of strains resistant to the treatments they have been previously exposed to. There is a constant need for novel agents targeting pathogens that have evolved immunity to previous treatments.

What is the significance of this project?

Venom comprises complex amalgamations of different molecules and polymers, including amino-acids, peptides, polyamines, proteins, free amino-acids and inorganic salts, most of which are potential drug-lead compounds. For example, it is estimated that spiders alone (as a taxonomic group – 45,000 species described globally) produce in excess of 10 million distinct bioactive polypeptides, of which only a few thousands (approximately 0.01%) have been characterised so far . Polypeptide antibiotics are reputedly fast acting but their mode of action has not been extensively investigated. Polypeptide antibiotics may be less prone to select for AMR bacterial strains making them ideal candidate for the development of novel antimicrobial compounds.

What are the goals of the project?

VIDAA aims to extract, screen, characterise, understand the mode of action and synthetise novel polypeptides with antimicrobial activity isolated from small to medium invertebrate organisms. To do so, we use a five-step process: 1) refine and extend existing venom extraction and bioactivity screening protocols; 2) determine the chemical structure of novel bioactive polypeptides isolated from these venoms; 3) specifically evaluate the potential of purified venom peptides in terms of antimicrobial activities; 4) characterise the mode of action of isolated peptides and 5) artificially synthetise those novel peptides of interest to test them further for activity and toxicity.