MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection

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Bacterial infections continue to cause immense human suffering and mortality throughout the world. We lack good vaccines for many bacterial diseases and the unabated, alarming worldwide rise in antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens has led to many high level international calls for action. It is widely appreciated that new ways to tackle bacterial infections will benefit from better understanding of the infectious processes and associated immune responses. Surprisingly, despite the importance of this problem, the MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection (CMBI) at Imperial College London is the only research Centre of excellence focussing exclusively on bacterial infection research (either in the UK or overseas). Furthermore, there is considerable concern about the shortage of UK-trained academics and clinicians developing research careers in bacterial infection biology. Over the last few years, with Imperial College and MRC support, the CMBI has developed into a major focal point for research and training in this area. Over the next five years we aim to refocus our training programme and strengthen research themes in the areas of bacterial physiology and pathogenesis, AMR, host immunity and the microbiota - bacterial communities that naturally inhabit our bodies and which have crucial but poorly understood roles in their interactions with pathogens, the emergence of antibiotic resistance and in host immune function. Underpinning these research themes will be a special emphasis on single cell analysis. Traditional bacteriology research involves studying bacteria as populations - either during growth in laboratory media or during infection. However, it is clear that even though these populations can be genetically identical, individual bacterial cells within them behave differently, and this variability has very significant implications for the outcome of infections and the development of antibiotic resistance. Recently, the large-scale study of individual cells in a population - single cell analysis - has become more feasible through the development of new specialist techniques and equipment. To support and enhance this research in the CMBI we require a suite of dedicated equipment for use in an environment where human pathogens can be handled safely. Therefore, we are proposing to establish a high throughput single cell analysis facility. Together, our new objectives are to (1) create new research teams focussing on AMR and the microbiota; (2) maintain a strong focus on mechanistic understanding of processes governing bacterial physiology, pathogenesis and host immunity; (3) establish a high-throughput single cell analysis facility; (4) build strong local, national and international collaborations with academic and clinical colleagues outside the Centre who work on other aspects of bacterial disease, and with whom we can share expertise; (5) extend our highly successful PhD programme - which contributes to the national effort to train the future generation of researchers both academically and clinically; (6) exploit a clear partnering strategy so that our discoveries can be translated into practical benefit in areas such as diagnostics, antibacterials and vaccines.