Dr. Hurdle’s work on antibiotic resistance ‘treatments and mechanisms’ spans the gap of translating basic sciences to findings with clinical applications. His recent studies on the bacterial membrane and bioenergetics as drug targets for treating persistent infections, in Nature Reviews Microbiology in 2011, captures his innovative philosophy to combat challenging hard-to-treat infections. He followed up this concept, revealing that toxin-producing Clostridium difficile is intrinsically sensitive to agents dissipating the membrane potential. He also posited roles for phytochemicals and reutericyclin, a membrane-active molecule from probiotic Lactobacilli, in treating C. difficile infections.
