Student Posters 51st Lorne Proteins Conference 2026

BAM-Boozled: Pyocin L1 and Darobactin Disrupt Outer Membrane Protein Assembly in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (#320)

Imogen Samuels 1 , Rhys Grinter 1
  1. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

The emergence and global spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant problem threatening human, plant, and animal health. Central to the problem of AMR are Gram-negative bacteria, which exhibit intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics due to their impermeable outer membrane (OM). A promising new avenue for antibiotic development focuses on lectin-like bacteriocins (Llps), bactericidal proteins naturally secreted by Gram-negative bacteria to eliminate competitors. Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important Gram-negative pathogen of clinical and agricultural importance and the Llp-Pyocin L1 as a model, I have combined biochemical assays with proteomics and lipidomics analyses to study how Llp disrupts OM protein assembly and triggers stress responses. Preliminary findings have revealed potential mechanisms of resistance, which I am now investigating further to understand how these bacteria evade Llp-mediated killing over time. This work aims to uncover how Llps affect bacterial structure and function, with the goal of informing new strategies to combat drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens.