Discovering the hiding places of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
We’ve recently awarded research funding to Dr Camilla Godlee at the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge through our match-funding Venture and Innovation Award scheme. The funding supports Isabella, a PhD student in Dr Godlee’s lab, to use state of the art research tools to understand more about lung infections in people with CF caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
This is the first cystic fibrosis research study that Dr Godlee has led. It’s a collaborative research project with Prof Martin Welch, an established expert in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in people with CF.
We recently visited their lab at Cambridge University to hear more about what their research is about, what the funding means to them, and how they hope their research can make a difference to people with CF.
What could the research mean for people with CF?
Once people with CF develop infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, they are really difficult to completely clear from the lungs. One of the reasons for this is that a small proportion of the Pseudomonas bacteria invade the cells that line the lungs, rather than living in the liquid that sits on the surface of the lungs.
Once inside the lung cells the bacteria are protected from any treatments for the infections. But how the bacteria get inside lung cells, and any chemical changes they make once there, is poorly understood. Over time, these bacteria can come back out of the lung cells and start infecting the airways again.
The aim of Isabella’s PhD is to study the proteins that Pseudomonas aeruginosa makes when it enters the cells and how the bacteria uses these proteins once inside the cell.
“By understanding this better, we can then better understand how to treat Pseudomonas infections in people with CF and also find new targets for drug discovery,” Isabella explains.
Our research isn't possible without amazing supporters like you.
Please consider making a donation today to help power ground-breaking research, drive campaigns to improve standards of care, and support people with CF and their loved ones every step of the way.