A hydrogel-based in vitro assay for the fast prediction of antibiotic accumulation in Gram-negative bacteria.

ABSTRACT: The pipeline of antibiotics has been for decades on an alarmingly low level. Considering the steadily emerging antibiotic resistance, novel tools are needed for early and easy identification of effective anti-infective compounds. In Gram-negative bacteria, the uptake of anti-infectives is especially limited. We here present a surprisingly simple in vitro model of the Gram-negative bacterial envelope, based on 20% (w/v) potato starch gel, printed on polycarbonate 96-well filter membranes. Rapid permeability measurements across this polysaccharide hydrogel allowed to correctly predict either high or low accumulation for all 16 tested anti-infectives in living Escherichia coli. Freeze-fracture TEM supports that the macromolecular network structure of the starch hydrogel may repr

SUBMITTER: Richter R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7720078 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature