Bioscience engineer Arne Janssens has been nominated for the Eos Pipet 2025, the annual award celebrating promising young scientists who have made a remarkable contribution to their field. Janssens is being recognised for his groundbreaking PhD research into the structural biology of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and for discovering a protein that could hold the key to developing new vaccines.
At a time when antibiotic resistance is on the rise globally and the pipeline for new antibiotics is drying up, Janssens, together with colleague Van-Son Nguyen, took a different approach: exposing the weaknesses in the outer membrane of the most dangerous Gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria – including E. coli, Salmonella, and Acinetobacter baumannii – are classified by the World Health Organization as priority pathogens due to their deadly potential and limited treatment options.
Using advanced cryo-electron microscopy, Janssens unravelled the 3D structure of BAM-A, a crucial membrane protein that acts like a “production machine” for the bacteria’s outer membrane. However, the real breakthrough came with the discovery of another, previously poorly understood protein: SlyB. Janssens and his team demonstrated that SlyB acts as a kind of “lifeline” for the bacterial membrane under stress – it forms protective rings around vulnerable membrane sections, preventing the structure from falling apart when attacked by the immune system.
The potential of SlyB goes far beyond fundamental science. Initial animal trials show that mice immunised with SlyB developed antibodies against multiple bacterial membrane proteins. This makes the protein a highly promising candidate for a broad-spectrum bacterial vaccine – a rare and much-needed development in modern medicine.
Vote for the Eos Pipet Public Prize
Arne Janssens is one of five finalists for the Eos Pipet 2025. In addition to the jury’s award, a public prize will also be awarded. https://www.eoswetenschap.eu/gezondheid/klein-eiwit-grote-mogelijkheden