PLOS Pathogens

In Gram-negative bacteria, multi-subunit efflux pumps transport molecules across the inner membrane, periplasm, and outer membrane to the extracellular environment. These efflux pumps include the Resistance-Nodulation-Cell Division (RND) superfamily, which utilize the membrane proton motive force to export a wide range of substrates against a concentration gradient. 

Orthoflaviviruses, including Dengue, West Nile and ZIKV, cause significant global disease yet lack broadly effective antiviral drugs. To address this unmet need, we used a cell-based high-content screening approach to discover a novel class of small molecules that inhibit a previously underexplored viral protein, NS2A. 

In the US, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) remains a major food safety concern, causing an estimated 357,000 illnesses annually with O157:H7 representing the most clinically significant serovar. Cattle are the primary reservoir of O157:H7, and approximately 20% of illnesses are linked to beef.