News
NWO funding for the development of smart antibiotics
Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem. More and more bacteria are becoming immune to medicines, making infections increasingly difficult to treat. To tackle this issue, researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) are collaborating with European partners on an innovative solution: developing new antibiotics using artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology. This project is one of five promising antibiotic research projects receiving funding from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS).
Building with biological LEGO bricks
“Our research focuses on a special group of natural antibiotics, the so-called non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs),” explains research leader Marnix Medema. “These substances are produced by micro-organisms via a kind of biological assembly line - you can compare it to building with LEGO bricks.” The scientists hope that by combining and adapting these building blocks, they can develop new, powerful antibiotics. So far, this has been challenging because producing new ‘LEGO combinations’ has been inefficient, and potential drugs are not always well absorbed by the body.
To overcome these obstacles, the researchers are utilising AI. The technology helps predict and enhance new antibiotic structures, enabling the design of bactericidal substances while ensuring these drugs are safe and effective for patients. By continuously repeating the cycle of designing, testing, and refining, the team aims to develop increasingly effective medicines.
New technologies accelerate antibiotic discovery
A significant breakthrough in this project is a technique that simplifies the recombination of antibiotic building blocks. This ‘exchange unit technology’ was developed by the Max Planck Institute in Germany. “It greatly increases the variety of possible drugs,” says Medema. “In addition, we use smart methods to search microbial databases and natural environments for promising new antibiotics.”
The research demonstrates how AI and biotechnology can assist in developing new medicines. “By making the process faster and more cost-effective, we also hope to encourage the pharmaceutical industry to invest more in antibiotic research,” adds Medema (WUR).
International collaboration
The project brings together experts from various fields, ranging from AI and biotechnology to pharmaceutical development. Wageningen University & Research is working with partners such as Eindhoven University of Technology, the University of Leiden, Fundación Medina (Spain), Myria Biosciences (Switzerland) and technology company NVIDIA. This collaboration could pave the way for faster, more effective, and more accessible medicines.
The five selected research projects are collectively receiving over 4.5 million euros in funding from NWO and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. This funding will enable them to conduct research into new antimicrobial agents for up to six years, accelerating the development of such alternatives. In one of the other projects, led by the University of Leiden with Wageningen University & Research as a research partner, the focus is on discovering antibiotics from actinomycetes and improving existing candidate drugs to ultimately make them available worldwide.