Kaichen Peng

Profile

Project Title: Structural studies of bacterial DNA replication initiation mechanism using cryo electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and novel antibiotic discovery

Summary: Antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis, new molecular targets and novel methods are required to tackle this issue. To be able to address this, we intend to study the replication of chromosomal DNA in bacteria, a fundamental cellular process that enables the transfer of genetic information from one generation to another in all cells. Our work will particularly focus on the initiation of replication in bacteria, which is unique compared to all other organisms, and we intend to understand this process at the molecular level. By using state-of-the-art techniques such as cryo electron microscopy, we aim to elucidate the structural and mechanistic details of this process at the molecular level. This knowledge can be directly used for the design of novel antibiotics targeting these systems.

Supervisor:

• Dr Aravindan Ilangovan 

Research