Liquid handling automated workstation for cell based assays

• Subject Area: Microbiology, Virology and Immunology
• Term: Funded in 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 439328175

We are a team of five research groups working on a wide range of topics at the interface between Biology and Medicine, specifically on cell and molecular biology of bacterial pathogens, antimicrobials and antifungals, host-pathogen interactions and cancer biology. While working on largely diverse topics, we share a common goal of applying innovative high-throughput approaches to tackle our research questions. In order to do so, we hereby apply for financial support for establishing a cutting-edge liquid handling automated workstation. With this instrumentation specially designed to develop novel high-throughput cell based assays, we propose to:• Perform a large-scale assessment the bactericidal effect of drug combinations against gram-negative bacterial pathogens, therefore providing new insights for fighting the alarming rise of antibiotic resistance. For a handful of potent synergistic combinations, we propose to re-assess their intracellular efficacy against persistent gram-negative pathogens, which are increasingly acknowledged to cause relapsing infections. The underlying mechanisms of bacterial cell death will be investigated using bacterial mutant libraries and conventional molecular biology techniques.• Explore large compound libraries to systematically investigate i) particular stress-response mechanisms in gastrointestinal bacterial pathogens – efflux pumps, small RNA regulators, small proteins – and how they relate to drug resistance and interaction with the human host; ii) how the host metabolism rewires in response to infection by intracellular pathogens which cause sexually transmitted diseases; iii) potential inhibitors of cancer specific protein-protein interactions.• Establish a large and well-characterised Candida spp. isolate collection, therefore elucidating the current antifungal resistance and epidemiological situation of one of the most prevalent life-threatening fungal pathogens in Germany.The automated workstation – to which we currently have no access – is instrumental to accomplish the described projects, and it would therefore tremendously support our research.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: "Liquid Handling automated Workstation" für zellbasierte Assays
• Instrumentation Group: 3500 Zellzähl- und Klassiergeräte (außer Blutanalyse), Koloniezähler
• Applicant Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• Leader: Professorin Ana Rita Gontao Brochado, Ph.D.