Study of the catalytic mechanism and of the inhibition of bacterial β-lactamase enzymes of all classes

β-lactamase enzymes  are a major defense system of bacteria against antibiotics and represent a threat for human health since that they confer resistance against β-lactam antibiotics. Understanding the chemical basis of β-lactam antibiotics inactivation and how β-lactamases can be inhibited is the starting point for developing new drugs to treat infections by resistant bacterial strains. The main tool for the study is the determination, by X-ray crystallography, of the tridimensional structure of β-lactamases and of their complexes with molecules able to provide information about the catalytic pathway.

Researchers involved

Ricercatori coinvolti