Distinguished iNANO Lecture by Professor Michael Schlierf, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany

Professor Michael Schlierf, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany

Host: Associate Professor Victoria Birkedal

Single-molecule spectroscopy enables an intricate view on bacterial adaptation

The predominant tool for adaptation in Gram-negative bacteria is a genetic system called integron. It rearranges gene cassettes, promoting multiple antibiotic resistances, a recognized major global health threat. In this presentation, I will introduce how we develop and apply single-molecule FRET and single-molecule force spectroscopy to study molecular mechanisms encoded in DNA sequence and proteins. I will discuss how different proteins compete for single-stranded DNA and how naturally occurring sequences are optimised for genetic stability and encode recognition structures. We further developed an optical tweezers force-spectroscopy assay that uncovers that mechanical stability is a major factor to regulate efficiency in DNA recombination. With the acquired insights, we aim to design a component that would destabilise a key complex and, by extension, inhibit the spread of antibiotic resistances.