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UEL leads the way in fight against superbugs

Friday 9 September 2011

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The University of East London (UEL) has made an exciting breakthrough, which could potentially herald a new dawn in the fight against a wide range of microbials, such as MRSA and E-coli.

The new range of substances is a series of molecules completely different from conventional antibiotics. In this exciting new development, Dr John George from the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, has made a bank of laboratory-produced molecules. All of these were tested to be successful in test tubes.

These molecules have been shown to be thousands of times more effective than other similar molecules against bacteria, especially antibiotic-resistant strains and superbugs. At the same time, they seem to have high safety levels, with very little toxicity (side-effects) even at very high dosage.

Speaking in response to his findings, Dr George said: “For many years now, health professionals have been desperately trying to find something that will tackle the threat of MRSA. While it is too early to say whether this is the future in terms of fighting superbugs, I do believe it is a significant finding that warrants further investigation."

This invention is protected and a European Patent application has been filed with the European Patent Office.

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Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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