What is the ARG?
Established in 1987 by Prof. Laura Piddock, ARG now includes Dr. Mark Webber's team. The group investigates the mechanisms of action and resistance to antibiotics as well as exploring the role of antibiotic resistance genes in the ability of pathogenic bacteria to cause infection.
Our affiliations
ARG is based within the School of Immunity and Infection at the University of Birmingham and is part of the newly launched Institute of Microbiology and Infection.
What do we aim to do?
To understand the fundamentals of antibiotic action and resistance and contribute towards the development of monitoring, infection control and clinical treatment strategies for infectious diseases.
Our outputs
We have over 180 publications on antimicrobial action and resistance and attract significant grant income to underpin our research.
Want to follow us?
Laura has a twitter feed which regularly carries updates on our work plus items on antibiotic resistance and drug discovery: @laurapiddock
IN THE NEWS
ARG at ECCMID
Members of ARG will be presenting our work at the forthcoming ECCMID in London from March 31st to April 3rd. We have a range of presentations and posters and if you want to meet up the details of our presentations are:
Saturday 31st March
13:30 - 14:00 Resistance mechanisms to antiseptics: Mark (Talking).
13:30 - 15:30 A new dawn for natural product antimicrobial drug discovery?: Laura (Chairing).
Sunday, April 01, 2012
11:30 - 12:30: Efflux and resistance - from basics to clinics (Hiroshi Nikaido, Keynote Lecture): Laura (Chairing).
12:30 - 13:30: Posters:
The impact of efflux activity on drug resistance of Burkholderia cepacia complex isolated from non-cystic fibrosis patients. P 1296. V. Hanulik*, M.A. Webber, R.N. Whitehead, S. Baugh, M. Chroma, M. Sedlakova, M. Kolar (Olomouc, CZ; Birmingham, UK).
A new method for studying efflux and membrane permeability in Acinetobacter species by measuring accumulation of Hoechst 33342 (bis-benzamide). P 1263. G. E. Richmond*, L. J. V. Piddock (Birmingham, UK)
Deletion of AdeFGH pump increases susceptibility of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii to carbapenems. P 1264.I. Amin, P. Sen, T.H. Koh, G.E. Richmond, L.J.V. Piddock, K.L. Chua* (Singapore, SG; Birmingham, UK)
Efflux inhibitors induce ramA expression. P 1222. A.J Lawler*, V. Ricci, L.J.V Piddock (Birmingham, UK)
MDR efflux pumps have overlapping and distinct roles in antibiotic resistance and virulence. P 1223. J.M.A Blair*, A.M Bailey, H.E. Smith, L.J. Thompson, A.J. Lawler, L.J.V. Piddock (Birmingham, UK)
Genomic evolution of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium following biocide challenge. P 1225. R.N. Whitehead*, L.J.V. Piddock, M.J. Pallen, M.A. Webber (Birmingham, UK).
Outbreak of Burkholderia multivorans in non-cystic fibrosis patients hospitalised in intensive care units. P 1177. V. Hanulik, M. Chroma*, R. Uvizl, M.A. Webber, R.N. Whitehead, S. Baugh, M. Sedlakova, M. Kolar (Olomouc, CZ; Birmingham, UK)
Comparison of veterinary medicines and natural feed constituents on curing efficacy and conjugation frequency of CTX-M plasmids in Escherichia coli. P 1108. M. Bagnall*, F. Lemma, M. Toszeghy, L. Randall, N. Coldham, L. Piddock, M. Woodward (New Haw, Birmingham, UK).
14:30 - 15:30. Antimicrobial resistance in the environment: Mark (Chairing).
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
15:06 - 15:18. Loss of MDR efflux systems in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium results in an inability to form competent biofilms due to repression of curli biosynthesis: Steffi (Talking).
Saturday 31st March
13:30 - 14:00 Resistance mechanisms to antiseptics: Mark (Talking).
13:30 - 15:30 A new dawn for natural product antimicrobial drug discovery?: Laura (Chairing).
Sunday, April 01, 2012
11:30 - 12:30: Efflux and resistance - from basics to clinics (Hiroshi Nikaido, Keynote Lecture): Laura (Chairing).
12:30 - 13:30: Posters:
The impact of efflux activity on drug resistance of Burkholderia cepacia complex isolated from non-cystic fibrosis patients. P 1296. V. Hanulik*, M.A. Webber, R.N. Whitehead, S. Baugh, M. Chroma, M. Sedlakova, M. Kolar (Olomouc, CZ; Birmingham, UK).
A new method for studying efflux and membrane permeability in Acinetobacter species by measuring accumulation of Hoechst 33342 (bis-benzamide). P 1263. G. E. Richmond*, L. J. V. Piddock (Birmingham, UK)
Deletion of AdeFGH pump increases susceptibility of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii to carbapenems. P 1264.I. Amin, P. Sen, T.H. Koh, G.E. Richmond, L.J.V. Piddock, K.L. Chua* (Singapore, SG; Birmingham, UK)
Efflux inhibitors induce ramA expression. P 1222. A.J Lawler*, V. Ricci, L.J.V Piddock (Birmingham, UK)
MDR efflux pumps have overlapping and distinct roles in antibiotic resistance and virulence. P 1223. J.M.A Blair*, A.M Bailey, H.E. Smith, L.J. Thompson, A.J. Lawler, L.J.V. Piddock (Birmingham, UK)
Genomic evolution of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium following biocide challenge. P 1225. R.N. Whitehead*, L.J.V. Piddock, M.J. Pallen, M.A. Webber (Birmingham, UK).
Outbreak of Burkholderia multivorans in non-cystic fibrosis patients hospitalised in intensive care units. P 1177. V. Hanulik, M. Chroma*, R. Uvizl, M.A. Webber, R.N. Whitehead, S. Baugh, M. Sedlakova, M. Kolar (Olomouc, CZ; Birmingham, UK)
Comparison of veterinary medicines and natural feed constituents on curing efficacy and conjugation frequency of CTX-M plasmids in Escherichia coli. P 1108. M. Bagnall*, F. Lemma, M. Toszeghy, L. Randall, N. Coldham, L. Piddock, M. Woodward (New Haw, Birmingham, UK).
14:30 - 15:30. Antimicrobial resistance in the environment: Mark (Chairing).
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
15:06 - 15:18. Loss of MDR efflux systems in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium results in an inability to form competent biofilms due to repression of curli biosynthesis: Steffi (Talking).
Visit to Downing St
Laura and Ms Vicki Longstaff (Nurse), Mr Graham Tanner (WHO Patient Champion), Dr Hilary Jones (General Practitioner) present the Antibiotic action (see below for details) petition at 10 Downing Street on November the 9th.
- 'Antibiotic Action' was launched September 2011. This is a global initiative to engage everyone from general public to researchers, healthcare professionals and funders so as to re-invigorate antibiotic drug discovery, research and development. Please ago to the website here. Please sign the petition to show your support! For UK citizens, the petition will be presented to the UK government on 9th November 2011.
- Sept 2011. BSAC (British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, of which Laura is president) launches 'The Urgent Need' an initiative to re-invigorate antimicrobial drug discovery. See here for details
This page is maintained by Mark Webber, copyright Mark Webber 2011