Synthetic approaches towards the next generation of photo-controlled antibiotics

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The overarching goal of the research is to create antibiotics whose activity can be remotely controlled by light. This would help to counter the constant build-up of active antibiotics in the environment and the related rise of resistances in many bacterial strains. Also, such control over antibiotic activity could help to overcome selectivity problems and consequential side-effects of antibiotic treatments. Based on a recent proof-of-concept for the control of bacterial growth by light through photoswitchable antibiotics, we plan to further improve upon this concept and take the next steps towards prospective clinical applicability. An initial approach to realize new and improved photoresponsive antibiotic structures was already successful with the development of photoswitchable 2,4-diaminopyrimidine derivatives. A primary goal now is to modify the newly developed system in such a way that a control of activity can be achieved with visible light instead of UV irradiation, as is still necessary at this point. This would constitute a major breakthrough in this field of research, and open up intriguing new possibilities, such as the prospect of controlling bacterial growth in situ only with light in a reversible fashion.