Matthias Fellner

 Infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a rising threat, rendering our current medicines ineffective and putting patients at great risk. The World Health Organization has classified Klebsiella pneumoniae as a critical priority pathogen for which new treatments are urgently needed.

Dr Matthias Fellner has been awarded a Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship to investigate a family of enzymes, called serine hydrolases, that are essential for the survival of Klebsiella pneumoniae. This will require collaboration with an international team, to validate these enzymes as targets for inhibition, and then design new drugs that permanently disable them. The aim is to provide a pipeline of new antibiotic candidates designed to overcome resistance, treat dangerous infections, and save lives. The research supports better health outcomes for New Zealand by investing in capability to understand and address antibiotic resistance.

Dr Matthias Fellner is a Research Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – the University of Otago. After a PhD in Chemistry from Otago, Matthias completed postdoctoral research at Michigan State University, in the United States of America, before returning to Otago. Matthias has previously been awarded a Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand and a Rising Star Award from the Asian Crystallography Association.

The hydrophobic protein surface of a bacterial serine hydrolase enzyme in complex with an inhibitor that could be developed into an antibiotic. The chemical structure of the inhibitor is shown around the enzyme in front of bacterial cells labelled with serine hydrolase probes (photo supplied)