Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology is an encyclopaedia on the systematics of prokaryotes, including archaea and bacteria, and is one of the major reference works in Microbiology. It has been published continuously since 1923, and is widely used by the global microbiology community. Currently, the Manual is published by the Bergey's Manual Trust in cooperation with Springer. More information about the Manual and Trust can be found at http://www.bergeys.org

Bergey Medals have been awarded annually since 1994 in recognition of sustained and outstanding contributions to the systematics of prokaryotes. At its annual meeting in Beijing the Bergey Manual Trust voted to present the award for 2011 to Professor Michael Goodfellow of the School of Biology at the University of Newcastle. Professor Goodfellow has contributed in many ways to modern microbiology, most notably by several landmark contributions on chemo- and numerical systematics. He has authored over 400 original papers, over 100 review articles, is senior editor of the second edition of Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Volume 5 which is devoted to the Actinobacteria and is one of the most highly cited researchers worldwide. He has advised over 60 Ph.D and innumerable M.Sc students and several postdoctoral fellows. Most of his Ph.D students have pursued careers in industry and academia (nine as professors).

As a highly renowned scientist and academic teacher Professor Goodfellow has received a number of awards and honours, including the annual Bergey Award of Bergey's Manual Trust, the Panlab Award from the American Society for Industrial Microbiology and the J. Roger Porter Award from the American Society for Microbiology and the United States Federation of Culture Collections. He is a member of the American Society of Microbiology and has received honorary degrees from the Autonomous Metropolitan University in Mexico City and the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing. He was awarded an MBE in the 2010 New Year's Honours List for voluntary contributions to education in Newcastle.

Demuris has secured grant funding of £86,847 from the TSB for a feasibility study in which Demuris, who is the lead (and only) partner, will develop and commercialise novel antibiotic compounds.

The project aims to develop selected compounds from the early stages of discovery through to a point where the compounds can be evaluated for viability of commercialisation and pre-clinical development.

The National Industrial Biotechnology Facility, based in Redcar, will provide the resources to enable the production of sufficient quantities of purified compounds for testing and development purposes.

Further details can be found at the following links:

Technology Strategy Board press release
Technology Strategy Board website

The Old Assembly Rooms hosted the fourth Cels (Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences) Business for Life Awards.

The region's leading healthcare and life science awards ceremony, hosted by Wendy Gibson, celebrated achievements in the North East healthcare industry. More than 200 guests gathered to see eight companies and individuals receive awards in categories including innovation, start-up, outstanding growth and partnership with the NHS.

The Start-Up Award, for newly established companies in the healthcare sector that show a promising future, was awarded to Demuris.

Commenting on the awards Dr Mike Nicholds, Cels' Managing Director, said: "We have been impressed by the high calibre of nominations this year. The growth and innovation shown by our healthcare and life science companies, despite the current economic climate, have been outstanding. The Awards draw attention to the outstanding work being carried out across the healthcare and life science sector, which increases t he region's profile and demonstrates that the North East is at the forefront of the industry".
"I'd like to congratulate all the worthy winners and finalists and wish them prosperity for the year ahead."

Coverage of Cels Awards evening in the Newcastle Journal

Prolysis Ltd, the UK leading antibiotic discovery and development company, has been acquired by a major Australian Biotech company, Biota. Prolysis was founded in 1998 by Prof Jeff Errington, whilst he was working in Oxford.

Biota has been a major player in the antiviral drug market and developed zanamivir, which is currently marketed globally by GlaxoSmithKline as the anti-flu drug Relenza.

Jeff has remained associated with Prolysis as a Director, CSO and consultant since the company's inception, and has been offered a position on the Board of Biota.

Press release from Biota Holdings Ltd.

The transition of Prolysis to the drug development phase leaves an opening for a UK antibiotic discovery company, which Demuris is well placed to fill.

The Innovator of the Year Award is an annual competition, organised by BBSRC, designed to recognise and reward those bioscientists who are taking steps to transfer the UK's world beating bioscience research base into impacts that positively affect quality of life for UK citizens.

Runner-up, Prof Jeff Errington, was recognised for his work on spin out companies that have developed new approaches to tackling superbugs like MRSA.

BBSRC's press release

Demuris has been awarded a significant amount of non-dilutive funding (€489,700) as a partner in the EU Framework Programme 7 project 'DIVINOCELL', which runs until 2013.

In a consortium of 11 partners, the challenge of DIVINOCELL is to develop new compounds to treat the infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens. Demuris' role in the project is to carry out systematic screening and hit identification – identifying and prioritising new targets and opportunities for productive screening assays.
Publications resulting from the project can be found on the DIVINOCELL website below.


DIVINOCELL Update | 01 April 2011

In its second year, the DIVINOCELL project has made good progress, which is demonstrated in the First Periodic Report, published on the DIVINOCELL website.

DIVINOCELL website

Scientists at Newcastle University's £18m Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology will attempt to discover how bacteria develop resistance to current antibiotics. Professor Jeff Errington, who will lead the department, said it was crucial that research continued in an effort to prevent a strain causing a pandemic.

It is hoped research will help develop new ways of controlling infectious diseases, including superbugs MRSA and C difficile, by providing new information on how bacteria work. It will also concentrate on developing new kinds of antibiotics to combat bacterial strains which are becoming resistant to current treatments.

MRSA, a bacterium spread by contact, can be passed on by someone who has it on their hands, although it can be easily killed using hand gels available in hospital wards. However, bacteria evolve into different strains which can become resistant to antibiotic treatment.

Researchers at the university will study bacteria and how human cells work. It is hoped this will lead to new types of antibiotics to match the evolving state of bacteria. Prof Errington said: "There isn't really anywhere else in the world of its kind. We will be able to understand the cells themselves and how they work. If you want to develop new antibiotics, then we really must do. It's absolutely crucial. The more you use antibiotics, you have to keep one step ahead."

Work on the centre has now begun and it is expected to open in January 2010.

Prof Errington said: "These fundamental studies into bacteria help our understanding of many illnesses and we are already developing new treatments for conditions such as MRSA and C difficile. They occur very frequently in hospitals and care homes and there have been very good antibiotics dealing with them." "Of course, over the last couple of decades the bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. It's starting to be a case that people are actually dying from these infections."

The university received £6m for the new building from the Wellcome Trust in recognition of the internationally-competitive research facilities.

Tony Field, of awareness group MRSA Support, said: "The research should confirm that what we are saying is that we should learn to not antagonise the bacteria and to prevent people from getting it.""We really need instant measures to be put into place to prevent the spread of the bacteria through the nose and throat as much as the hands."...