A consortium of 2bind GmbH and the University of Regensburg have successfully secured over 750.000 EUR federal funding for a research project investigating the potential of glutamine amidotransferase as novel drug targets for antibiotics.
April 2020 – The “GATarget” project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), focuses on validating glutamine amidotransferase enzyme complexes as novel drug targets and developing novel antibiotic inhibitors that could disrupt their activity. GAT complexes play a crucial role in various cellular processes, including amino acid metabolism and biosynthesis of nucleotides and cofactors. Dysregulation of these complexes has been linked to several diseases, making them attractive targets for therapeutic intervention.
The research team employs a multidisciplinary approach, combining biochemical, biophysical, and cell-based assays to identify and characterize potential inhibitors of GAT complexes. The project focuses particularly on the role of protein-protein interactions (PPI) within GAT complexes. Disrupting these PPIs can offer a novel approach to modulating the activity of these complexes and represents a promising avenue for antibiotic drug development.
“We are excited to be able to shine some light on an ever-pressing issue, which is the emergence of more and more antibiotic resistances and the challenges this poses for successful therapeutic intervention in infections,” said Dr. Maximilian Plach, COO of 2bind and principal investigator of the project. “The group of Prof. Dr. Reinhard Sterner from the University of Regensburg brings a wealth of experience in terms of analyzing, modifying and tampering with protein-protein interactions to the table and we glad to have them on the team”.
