Characterisation of novel Acinetobacter baumannii type VI secretion system effectors and delivery mechanisms

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections is on the rise globally; by 2050 multidrug resistant bacterial infections are expected to kill more than 10 million people globally, overtaking cancer and other leading illnesses. To combat this, we looked at how Acinetobacter baumannii, a notorious drug-resistant bacterial pathogen, uses antibacterial effector proteins delivered by the type VI secretion system to kill competitor bacteria in a shared environment. This work increased our knowledge of the arsenal of weapons that A. baumannii uses to kill other hospital-dwelling bacteria, which has the potential to lead to the development of novel antimicrobial strategies.