Speakers:
- Jeremy Rock, Associate Professor, Rockefeller University (USA)
- Dirk Schnappinger, Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College (USA)
- Laura Cleghorn, Reader, Drug Discovery Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee (UK)
Moderator:
- Valerie Mizrahi, Director, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town (South Africa)
This webinar will explore the current landscape of drug discovery for tuberculosis, focusing on both the scientific and practical challenges that hinder progress, as well as the opportunities that emerging technologies and novel targets present.
Presentation 1: Identifying vulnerable targets and pathways in M. tuberculosis (Jeremy Rock)
- Titratable CRISPRi enables quantification of target vulnerability in mycobacteria
- Essential genes and processes vary widely in their vulnerability
- Differential vulnerability predicts differential antibacterial susceptibility
- Generalizable approach allows prioritization of high-value targets for drug discovery
Presentation 2: The application of chemical-genetic tools in TB drug discovery (Dirk Schnappinger)
- How to apply genetics to define the mechanism(s) of action of antitubercular small molecules
Presentation 3: Opportunities and challenges in TB drug discovery: targeting Pks13 as a case study (Laura Cleghorn)
- Drugs targeting the cell wall have been effective in treating a range of bacterial infections. In M. tuberculosis the cell wall consists of mycolic acids that are critical for its survival and unique to mycobacterium species.
- Polyketide synthase (Pks13) is an enzyme that catalyses the final condensation step in the mycolic acid biosynthesis pathway and has emerged as a promising new target for tuberculosis.
- The journey examining several novel series as potential Pks13 inhibitors, discussing the highlights, lessons learnt and covering the opportunities/challenges for the future.
This live webinar including an interactive Q&A session will be broadcast on 9 September 2025. Find your timezone here.
If you have questions or comments, please let us know: revive@gardp.org.