Gill R. Douce

Antibiotic treatment of meningococcal and other sepsis causative bacteria triggers the release of histone-like proteins (HLPs) that damage the endothelium and drive coagulopathy, but these effects can be neutralized by non-anticoagulant heparins or anti-HLP antibodies.

This study investigates the systemic effects of microbiome-derived carnitine analogues in mice, showing carnitine depletion and mitochondrial dysfunction due to inhibition of carnitine biosynthesis.

The paper isolates and characterizes an E. coli O157:H7 strain from commercial specific-pathogen-free mice, revealing limitations in current screening systems.