I graduated from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2018 with a master’s degree in biomedical science, focusing on biochemistry and molecular biology. I am currently a PhD student at the Norwegian University of Life Science (NMBU), working on establishing RseP as a antimicrobial target in Vancomycine-resistant enterococci (VRE). VRE is an important nosocomial pathogen causing a wide range of infections, including bacteremia, urinary tract infections and endocarditis. Resistance to last line-antibiotics are frequently reported, making novel treatment options needed. In this context, bacteriocins are receiving increased scientific interest. The LMG group at NMBU has identified a group of antimicrobial peptides, called bacteriocins, showing specific and potent activity against VRE. The bacteriocins directly interact with RseP, a membrane-bound zinc-metalloprotease. In my PhD project, I aim to further understand the interaction between the bacteriocin and RseP in order to assess the potential of bacteriocins as a treatment option in VRE. Increased structural information about RseP and RseP/bacteriocin interaction will strongly contribute to developing RseP as a drug target. Consequently, structural biology and protein-protein interaction are topics of interest
