Contemporary Science Issues and Innovations
March 24, 2015 at Belmont Media Center, Belmont MA

Kim Lewis, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor; Director, Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Northeastern University. Lewis Lab

When antibiotics were first developed they were a medical miracle, curing many infections and diseases that had often led to death. However, over decades the ability of bacteria to mutate quickly has made it increasingly difficult to develop effective antibiotics. Now serious infections and bacteria-based diseases present a crisis in medicine. Finding effective antibiotics is a top priority in medical research. An innovation in antibiotic development at the Kim Lewis Lab at Northeastern University is causing global excitement. Dr. Lewis discusses bacterial resistance, the current crisis in antibiotics, the method he and his colleagues pioneered that has led to a major breakthrough. The new antibiotic, teixobactin, is in the early stages of testing, but is already making headlines.

Dr. Lewis is a permanent member of the Drug Discovery and Drug Resistance NIH Study Section, and has been Chair of two NIH Study Sections on Drug Discovery. He is a member of Faculty 1000, a world-wide panel of experts evaluating research advancements. He served as a panelist and contributor to the National Academies Institute of Medicine reports on antibiotic resistance in 2010 and 2011. His awards include the MIT C.E. Reed Faculty Initiative Award for an innovative research project (1992) and the NIH Director's Transformative Award (2009). Dr. Lewis is also founder of two Biotech Companies, NovoBiotic Pharmaceuticals, and Arietis Corporation.

Further information on the Lewis team's discovery

• Rare Good News on Antibiotic Resistance: Promise of Tougher DrugWBUR Jan 07, 2015
• New Antibiotic Shows PromiseScience News Magazine Feb 7, 2015
• From a Pile of Dirt, Hope for a Powerful New AntibioticNew York Times, Jan 08/2015
• A New Antibiotic that Resists ResistanceNational Geographic
• Newly Discovered Antibiotic Kills Pathogens without ResistanceScience Daily Jan 08, 2015
• From a Pile of Dirt, Researchers Discover New AntibioticTechnology Review