Targeting ABC to tackle AMR: taking advantage of bacterial membrane proteins

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are membrane-bound proteins that transfer molecules across the cell membrane. Although found in all organisms, most of these transporters in humans are for exporting molecules, whereas in bacterial pathogens, these transporters are responsible for both importing and exporting. This means that ABC importers could be potential targets for anti-bacterial therapeutics development. Heather Pinkett (left) – Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences at Northwestern University (IL, USA) and President of The Protein Society (MD, USA) – uses X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), among other techniques, to study ABC transporters that exist in pathogens. At ELRIG’s...