Imperial Gets £3.1M to Hunt New Antibiotics With AI — First New Class in 50 Years?
Imperial College's Fleming Initiative gets £3.1M to find new antibiotics using AI — targeting Gram-negative superbugs that haven't seen a new drug class in 50 years.
Fleming's Spiritual Successors
Imperial College London's Fleming Initiative has secured £3.1 million from the Gates Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and Wellcome to accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria.
The multidisciplinary team combines microbiology, chemistry, and machine learning to create a 'rulebook' for finding new drug compounds. They're targeting E. coli and Klebsiella — two common causes of hospital-acquired infections that are increasingly resistant to all available antibiotics.
No new class of antibiotics for Gram-negative bacteria has been discovered in over 50 years. This convergent-science approach aims to break that drought.
Key Facts
- £3.1M from Gates Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome
- Targets Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, Klebsiella)
- No new Gram-negative antibiotic class in 50+ years
- Part of Gr-ADI programme
What We Don't Know Yet
Funding doesn't guarantee discovery. AI-driven drug discovery is promising but unproven at scale for antibiotics. Even if compounds are found, clinical trials and regulatory approval take years.
Sources: Imperial College London
