Uppsala leads broad front against resistant bacteria

Less than a century after Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, careless use and lack of new drugs have made antimicrobial resistance an acute, worldwide challenge. Today, Uppsala University plays a key role in the quest for tools against bacteria, with the Uppsala Antibiotic Center as its interdisciplinary and globally renowned flagship initiative. It is a scientific community that brings together 14 PhD students from a wide range of disciplines. One of them is Ottilia Andersson at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry.

“Via the center, I meet researchers from all of Uppsala University's disciplinary domains at joint workshops and seminars. It is a generous and curious environment that provides insight into the progress of others, valuable ideas for my own project – and not least confirms that our research remains relevant beyond our individual disciplines,” says Ottilia Andersson, who works with a focus on the development and analysis of molecules in the search for new antibiotics.

In her research, Ottilia Andersson explores a molecular structure that she – together with colleagues at the university’s Faculty of Medicine – adjusts with a focus on specific targets in the resistant bacteria. Today, Ottilia counts 65 variations of the molecule in the laboratory at Uppsala’s Biomedical Center. Next, just under a year of fine-tuning awaits along the way to her doctoral defense in December 2026.

“My role in the UAC has paved the way for international collaborations, including in Brazil, which I have visited twice. It also helped me secure the Iris Scholarship for aspiring women in Sweden, which in turn enabled my participation at The ICARe Course in France, where young antibiotic researchers analyse new advances together with some of the world’s foremost experts. So overall, the center has had a great impact on both my doctoral studies and my results,” says Ottilia Andersson.

In another part of the laboratory, the antibiotic platform ENABLE-2 has its home. With a hub at Uppsala University's Faculty of Pharmacy, ENABLE-2 unites leading expertise in Sweden, Denmark and the Baltics. Together, they form a well-oiled machine that guides drug candidates through the early critical stages of development. Following the Swedish government's decision to invest SEK 100 million in ENABLE-2 over the years 2025–2028, the platform has further strengthened its presence in Europe.

“We aim to attract the best programs and are very encouraged by the international interest in ENABLE-2. After receiving applications from thirteen countries, we recently expanded our portfolio with four highly promising programs based at, among others, the Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership and the Ineos Oxford Institute at the University of Oxford, giving us reason to meet the future with confidence,” says Anders Karlén, coordinator and Professor of Computer-Aided Drug Design.

Also high on the agenda are multidrug-resistant tuberculosis bacteria, which once again make tuberculosis one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. The fact that only a few new drugs to cure the disease have been approved since the 1960s makes the challenge even more difficult. In addition, available treatments are both demanding and carry a high risk of serious side effects. But recently, an international research team published promising results in The Lancet.

“In clinical trials in Tanzania and South Africa, we have tested the two new antibiotic candidates delpazolid and sutezolid. Our results show that tuberculosis patients respond positively and with minimal side effects. Further studies are required before we reach our goal, but we can already conclude that safer and more effective ways to cure tuberculosis are indeed within reach,” says Professor Elin Svensson.

text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt