{"533041":{"#nid":"533041","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Modeling Bacteria","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAntibiotic resistance in bacteria is among the most critical public health threats today. As more existing antibiotics lose their ability to battle bacteria, there\u2019s pressure to develop new drugs that can attack the bugs in different ways.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKey to that effort is understanding how bacteria operate so new compounds can be developed to attack the microorganisms at their weakest points.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are modeling gram-negative bacteria such as \u003Cem\u003EE. coli, N. gonorrhoeae, and Salmonella\u003C\/em\u003E to find gaps in their cellular defenses \u2014 specifically, their outer cell membranes. Having detailed models of these structures can help experimentalists understand what their research is showing and point to new areas of investigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the helpful things about modeling is that often just having a detailed picture of the system shows you what questions you should be asking,\u201d said J.C. Gumbart, a professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Physics. \u201cIt\u2019s really important that we have very accurate models to understand how different bacteria interact with the immune system and with potential drugs in diverse ways.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe bacteria that Gumbart studies are unusual in that they have two outer membranes, one on each side of the cell wall. These membranes are very different from those of other cells, and they have special features that may provide avenues for pharmaceutical attack.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut even the best experiments can\u2019t show all of the factors involved in the membranes\u2019 functions, which is why models can be useful. The models, which run on high-performance computers both locally and at national supercomputing centers such as the one at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, combine experimental data with basic principles of biophysics. \u201cWe have effectively infinite resolution, and we can present dynamic, atomistic resolution views of the processes going on there,\u201d Gumbart said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are working with colleagues at the National Institutes of Health, Caltech, Emory University, and other institutions to understand bacteria, including the critical protein BamA, which is responsible for protein insertion into the membrane and could therefore be a target for new \u0026shy;antibiotics.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2014 John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is among the most critical public health threats today. As more existing antibiotics lose their ability to battle bacteria, there\u2019s pressure to develop new drugs that can attack the bugs in different ways."}],"uid":"28004","created_gmt":"2016-05-05 10:43:27","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:35","author":"Dione Morton","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"533031":{"id":"533031","type":"image","title":"Modeling Bacteria","body":null,"created":"1462561200","gmt_created":"2016-05-06 19:00:00","changed":"1475895314","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:14","alt":"Modeling Bacteria","file":{"fid":"214998","name":"front_office_modelingbacteria.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/front_office_modelingbacteria.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/front_office_modelingbacteria.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":447923,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/front_office_modelingbacteria.jpg?itok=SVP1sKCY"}}},"media_ids":["533031"],"groups":[],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDione Morton\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dione.morton@physics.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}