Which of these discoveries did not win a Nobel prize? The use of horse serum to treat diphtheria. The use of malaria to treat syphilis. The use of mould products to kill bacteria. The use of viruses to kill bacteria. Image from Wikipedia

Nobel Prize Winners Emil Adolf von Behring (1854-71) worked on serum therapy for diphtheria, providing ‘a victorious weapon against illness and deaths’ Julius Wagner-Jauregg (1857-1940) used malaria to successfully treat neurosyphilis. Fleming, Chain and Florey shared a prize for the discovery of penicillin from Penicillium moulds. Pictures from nobelprize.org

Not a Nobel Prize winner Frederick Twort and Felix d’Herelle discovered viruses could kill bacteria, the basis of bacteriophage therapy, in 1917. Phage therapy continues to be used in Russia and Eastern Europe and may be an alternative to antibiotics. In 2017, bacteriophages used to successfully treat M. abscessus in a CF patient at GOSH. Nature Med 2019 730-3

Name this molecule? What is the function of the highlighted substitutions?

Dalbavancin Correlates with extended half life (t1/2) in vivo Defines family of homologues, all with antibacterial activity Fatty acid chain Enhances antibacterial activity Dalbavancin is a lipogylcopeptide. It’s derived from a natural product of fermentation by a species of Nonomurea. The core structure is most similar to teicoplanin, with differentiating features that include a dimethylaminopropyl amide substitution, which enhances antibacterial activity and a number of R2 substitutions that define the family of homologues that constitute dalbavancin. In addition there’s a long fatty acid side chain, which contributes to the long half life of the drug and allows the molecule to associate with the cell membrane of the bacteria, anchoring it in place and enhancing its ability to interact with its site of action in the cell wall. Dalbavancin interferes with cell wall synthesis and causes bacterial death by binding to the (D-ala-D-ala) terminus of the peptidoglycan preventing cross linking 3,3-dimethylaminopropyl amide Source: Correvio FDA Briefing Document. Anti-infective Drugs Advisory Committee Meeting. March 31, 2014

What is Thomas Crapper known for? A) The S-bend trap B) The ballcock C) The flushing toilet D) Toilet paper rolls Image from wikipedia

Thomas Crapper Plumber, invented (amongst other things) the: Ballcock U-bend (improvement on previous S-bend) Manhole cover Flushing toilets found throughout history up to 2000BC (Indus Valley civilisations) but modern flush toilet was first described by Sir John Harrington in 1596.