Oluwaseun Ajayi: Using High-Throughput Tech to Tackle Antibiotic Resistance

By Tosin Clegg

In cutting-edge laboratories where high-throughput technologies reveal molecular secrets, transformative research is reshaping the future of medicine.
Oluwaseun Ajayi’s laboratory at the University of Georgia utilizes and has access to advanced high-throughput technologies, including Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC), X-ray crystallography, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and cryogenic electron microscopy (CryoEM). These sophisticated tools enable detailed investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying antibiotic resistance.
“We’re living in a golden age of structural biology,” Ajayi explains while preparing samples for multiple analytical approaches. “Technologies that were experimental decades ago now allow us to visualize molecular machines in unprecedented detail.”
Her doctoral research focuses on pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes, which are the complex molecular machines bacteria employ to evade antibiotic treatment. Understanding their structure and function could reveal new therapeutic targets for combating drug-resistant infections responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths annually.
“Bacterial enzymes operate like intricate factories producing tools that protect bacteria from antibiotics,” she hints. “Therefore, my goal is to reverse-engineer these factories to expose their vulnerabilities,” she further states.
Ajayi’s approach integrates diverse technologies and computational tools such as follows. Firstly, X-ray crystallography which provides static three-dimensional structures, CryoEM which captures enzyme conformational changes at near-absolute-zero temperatures, NMR spectroscopy which offers dynamic insights, and mass spectrometry which characterizes molecular components. Lastly, computational analysis which synthesizes these data to model enzyme functions comprehensively.
“Combining these techniques through high-throughput workflows maximizes information gained from each experiment, thereby improving efficiency and data quality,” she notes. “This integrated strategy also reduces costs while accelerating discovery”, Ajayi further adds.
Her work exemplifies how interdisciplinary expertise spanning chemistry, biology, physics, and computational science drives modern drug discovery. Pharmaceutical companies increasingly rely on structure-based design informed by such detailed molecular data to develop antibiotics faster and more precisely.
“Instead of screening millions of compounds blindly, we design molecules specifically to target bacterial resistance mechanisms,” Ajayi says. “This rational design approach holds promise for developing next-generation antibiotics,” she further states.
Advanced research infrastructure and collaborative access to high-throughput technologies at the University of Georgia provide a competitive edge for Ajayi’s investigations. These capabilities are essential for world-class research that addresses pressing global health challenges.
“Technology democratizes drug discovery,” she emphasizes. “Access to sophisticated analytical tools also enables researchers to tackle diseases impacting developing countries, thereby ensuring equitable innovation,” Ajayi further states.
Oluwaseun Ajayi’s research contributes structural data to global open-access databases, thereby accelerating worldwide efforts to develop effective treatments. Also, emerging computational techniques like artificial intelligence and machine learning further promise to revolutionize antibiotic design by predicting optimal drug candidates from structural insights.
Looking forward, Ajayi envisions technology transfer initiatives that empower developing nations, including Nigeria, to build domestic biotechnology and pharmaceutical capacities.
“Building advanced analytical capabilities at home supports self-sufficient drug discovery programs targeting region-specific health challenges,” she concludes.
Oluwaseun Ajayi’s integration of high-throughput technologies and computational tools in molecular enzyme research clearly exemplifies a new frontier in the fight against antibiotic resistance and the future of precision medicine.