Mervyn Bibb

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Mervyn Bibb
Alma mater University of East Anglia
Awards FRS (2013) [1]
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions
Thesis Genetic and physical studies of a Streptomyces coelicolor plasmid  (1978)
Doctoral advisor David Hopwood [5] [6] [4]
Website

Mervyn James Bibb FRS is an Emeritus Fellow at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. [7]

Contents

Education

Bibb was educated at the University of East Anglia where he graduated with a BSc in Biological Sciences and was awarded a PhD in 1978 for studies of plasmids in Streptomyces coelicolor . [8]

Research

Bibb's research [9] [10] focused on

Awards and honours

Bibb was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2013. His nomination reads:

Mervyn Bibb is nominated for his seminal contributions to the genetic manipulation of antibiotic-producing bacteria, and to our understanding of antibiotic production and its regulation. He characterised Streptomyces plasmids, invented a method for introducing them into Streptomyces, and then developed cloning systems. This opened the way to his characterisation of the basic features of Streptomyces genes. He then applied this knowledge to the synthesis of antibiotics and their global and pathway-specific regulation. New therapeutic agents and ground-breaking approaches to yield improvement are emerging from this work. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloramphenicol</span> Antibiotic

Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes use as an eye ointment to treat conjunctivitis. By mouth or by injection into a vein, it is used to treat meningitis, plague, cholera, and typhoid fever. Its use by mouth or by injection is only recommended when safer antibiotics cannot be used. Monitoring both blood levels of the medication and blood cell levels every two days is recommended during treatment.

<i>Streptomyces</i> Genus of bacteria

Streptomyces is the largest genus of Actinomycetota, and the type genus of the family Streptomycetaceae. Over 700 species of Streptomyces bacteria have been described. As with the other Actinomycetota, streptomycetes are gram-positive, and have very large genomes with high GC content. Found predominantly in soil and decaying vegetation, most streptomycetes produce spores, and are noted for their distinct "earthy" odor that results from production of a volatile metabolite, geosmin. Different strains of the same species may colonize very diverse environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Efflux pump</span> Protein complexes that move compounds, generally toxic, out of bacterial cells

An efflux pump is an active transporter in cells that moves out unwanted material. Efflux pumps are an important component in bacteria in their ability to remove antibiotics. The efflux could also be the movement of heavy metals, organic pollutants, plant-produced compounds, quorum sensing signals, bacterial metabolites and neurotransmitters. All microorganisms, with a few exceptions, have highly conserved DNA sequences in their genome that encode efflux pumps. Efflux pumps actively move substances out of a microorganism, in a process known as active efflux, which is a vital part of xenobiotic metabolism. This active efflux mechanism is responsible for various types of resistance to bacterial pathogens within bacterial species - the most concerning being antibiotic resistance because microorganisms can have adapted efflux pumps to divert toxins out of the cytoplasm and into extracellular media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiostrepton</span> Chemical compound

Thiostrepton is a natural cyclic oligopeptide antibiotic of the thiopeptide class, derived from several strains of streptomycetes, such as Streptomyces azureus and Streptomyces laurentii. Thiostrepton is a natural product of the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) class.

<i>Streptomyces griseus</i> Species of bacterium

Streptomyces griseus is a species of bacteria in the genus Streptomyces commonly found in soil. A few strains have been also reported from deep-sea sediments. It is a Gram-positive bacterium with high GC content. Along with most other streptomycetes, S. griseus strains are well known producers of antibiotics and other such commercially significant secondary metabolites. These strains are known to be producers of 32 different structural types of bioactive compounds. Streptomycin, the first antibiotic ever reported from a bacterium, comes from strains of S. griseus. Recently, the whole genome sequence of one of its strains had been completed.

Sir David Alan Hopwood is a British microbiologist and geneticist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actinorhodin</span> Chemical compound

Actinorhodin is a benzoisochromanequinone dimer polyketide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces coelicolor. The gene cluster responsible for actinorhodin production contains the biosynthetic enzymes and genes responsible for export of the antibiotic. The antibiotic also has the effect of being a pH indicator due to its pH-dependent color change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plasmid-mediated resistance</span> Antibiotic resistance caused by a plasmid

Plasmid-mediated resistance is the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes which are carried on plasmids. Plasmids possess mechanisms that ensure their independent replication as well as those that regulate their replication number and guarantee stable inheritance during cell division. By the conjugation process, they can stimulate lateral transfer between bacteria from various genera and kingdoms. Numerous plasmids contain addiction-inducing systems that are typically based on toxin-antitoxin factors and capable of killing daughter cells that don't inherit the plasmid during cell division. Plasmids often carry multiple antibiotic resistance genes, contributing to the spread of multidrug-resistance (MDR). Antibiotic resistance mediated by MDR plasmids severely limits the treatment options for the infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, especially family Enterobacteriaceae. The global spread of MDR plasmids has been enhanced by selective pressure from antimicrobial medications used in medical facilities and when raising animals for food.

<i>Streptomyces avermitilis</i> Species of bacterium

Streptomyces avermitilis is a species of bacteria in the genus Streptomyces. This bacterium was discovered by Satoshi Ōmura in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

Streptomyces isolates have yielded the majority of human, animal, and agricultural antibiotics, as well as a number of fundamental chemotherapy medicines. Streptomyces is the largest antibiotic-producing genus of Actinomycetota, producing chemotherapy, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic drugs, and immunosuppressants. Streptomyces isolates are typically initiated with the aerial hyphal formation from the mycelium.

Streptomyces albidoflavus is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil from Poland. Streptomyces albidoflavus produces dibutyl phthalate and streptothricins.

Streptomyces azureus is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has isolated from soil. Streptomyces azureus produces the antibiotic thiostrepton.

Streptomyces cacaoi is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces. Streptomyces cacaoi produces polyoxine.

Streptomyces lavendulae is a species of bacteria from the genus Streptomyces. It is isolated from soils globally and is known for its production of medically useful biologically active metabolites. To see a photo of this organism click here.

Streptomyces echinatus is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which was isolated from soil in Angola. Streptomyces echinatus produces echinomycin, dehydrosinefungin A and aranciamycin.

Streptomyces glaucescens is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil. Streptomyces glaucescens produces tetracenomycin C, tetracenomycin D and tetracenomycin E.

Streptomyces sanglieri is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from soil from a hay meadow. Streptomyces sanglieri produces the antibiotic lactonamycin Z.

Streptomyces vietnamensis is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces which has been isolated from forest soil in Vietnam.

Streptomyces violaceolatus is a bacterium species from the genus of Streptomyces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetracenomycin C</span> Chemical compound

Tetracenomycin C is an antitumor anthracycline-like antibiotic produced by Streptomyces glaucescens GLA.0. The pale-yellow antibiotic is active against some gram-positive bacteria, especially against streptomycetes. Gram-negative bacteria and fungi are not inhibited. In considering the differences of biological activity and the functional groups of the molecule, tetracenomycin C is not a member of the tetracycline or anthracyclinone group of antibiotics. Tetracenomycin C is notable for its broad activity against actinomycetes. As in other anthracycline antibiotics, the framework is synthesized by a polyketide synthase and subsequently modified by other enzymes.

References

  1. 1 2 http://royalsociety.org/people/mervyn-bibb/ [ dead link ]
  2. Mervyn Bibb publications indexed by Google Scholar
  3. Bibb, M; Schottel, J. L.; Cohen, S. N. (1980). "A DNA cloning system for interspecies gene transfer in antibiotic-producing Streptomyces". Nature. 284 (5756): 526–31. Bibcode:1980Natur.284..526B. doi:10.1038/284526a0. PMID   7366721. S2CID   25606114.
  4. 1 2 Q&A with Professor Mervyn Bibb
  5. Bibb, M. J.; Ward, J. M.; Hopwood, D. A. (1978). "Transformation of plasmid DNA into Streptomyces at high frequency". Nature. 274 (5669): 398–400. Bibcode:1978Natur.274..398B. doi:10.1038/274398a0. PMID   672966. S2CID   4221380.
  6. Freeman, R. F.; Bibb, M. J.; Hopwood, D. A. (1977). "Chloramphenicol acetylransferase-independent chloramphenicol resistance in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)". Journal of General Microbiology. 98 (2): 453–65. doi: 10.1099/00221287-98-2-453 . PMID   856941.
  7. Mervyn Bibb's publications indexed by the Scopus bibliographic database. (subscription required)
  8. Bibb, Mervyn (1978). Genetic and physical studies of a Streptomyces coelicolor plasmid (PhD thesis). University of East Anglia.
  9. Bibb, M. J.; Findlay, P. R.; Johnson, M. W. (1984). "The relationship between base composition and codon usage in bacterial genes and its use for the simple and reliable identification of protein-coding sequences". Gene. 30 (1–3): 157–66. doi:10.1016/0378-1119(84)90116-1. PMID   6096212.
  10. Ward, J. M.; Janssen, G. R.; Kieser, T.; Bibb, M. J.; Buttner, M. J.; Bibb, M. J. (1986). "Construction and characterisation of a series of multi-copy promoter-probe plasmid vectors for Streptomyces using the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene from Tn5 as indicator". MGG Molecular & General Genetics. 203 (3): 468–478. doi:10.1007/BF00422072. PMID   3018431. S2CID   25943568.
  11. Bibb, M. J. (2005). "Regulation of secondary metabolism in streptomycetes". Current Opinion in Microbiology. 8 (2): 208–15. doi:10.1016/j.mib.2005.02.016. PMID   15802254.