Stephan Hacker – Searching for vulnerabilities in bacteria

Stephan Hacker is an assistant professor of chemical biology at Leiden University, where he seeks new ways to produce novel antibiotics. His research focuses on identifying new vulnerabilities in bacteria.

Why did you choose this specialization?

“That originated from my postdoc. I wondered what was important and interesting enough to work on for 30 years. Antibiotic resistance is critical, and there is not much development within the industry. I intend to remain in academia for the rest of my career. I enjoy working with students and PhD candidates. It is rewarding to see them grow during their doctoral research. Furthermore, I can more or less determine for myself what I want to work on.”

What is the greatest challenge in your work?

“Identifying new ways to target bacteria. I try to gain a fundamental understanding of their vulnerabilities. We primarily use covalent inhibitors. There are quite a few proteins in bacteria that can be targeted. It is highly dependent on the bacterium, so we could use them to create precision antibiotics. Perhaps we can selectively kill the bacterium causing the infection.”

What are your expectations for this research?

“I want to target a few vulnerabilities and perform advanced medicinal chemistry. Then I want to demonstrate that it can help in a meaningful way. That would allow us to generate interest, take it further, and perhaps establish a start-up. A meaningfully developed starting point for an antibiotic.”