Bug Battle 101

Physics, chemistry and biology walk into a bar… and you get this talk! We will need to use all three sciences to fight antibiotic-resistant superbugs. These superbugs produce proteins which can defeat most antibiotics. So, what can we do? Instead of finding a new superhero antibiotic, we will need to find them a sidekick. Their job will be to take on the antibiotic-destroying proteins, clearing the way for the antibiotics to fight the real evil of superbugs. Can we use physics and chemistry-based computational methods to tackle this biological problem? Come along to find out!

Germs (bacteria, viruses and fungi) commonly exist in cosmopolitan communities of many diverse microbes living together. Like humans in cities, bacteria can ignore one another, work together for the collective good or aggressively compete. In extreme cases, one species might outcompete all others, wiping out microbial diversity and causing a more dangerous infection. How do microbes wage war against each other? How can diverse communities find peace and prosperity? And could there be lessons for human communities?