About Kim Lewis
Our laboratory studies persister cells and uncultured bacteria. Persisters are dormant variants of regular cells which are tolerant to antibiotics and responsible for recalcitrance of biofilm infections. Using transcriptome analysis, cell sorting and whole genome sequencing we are identifying genes responsible for persister formation. We identified a number of mechanisms for persister formation, and the first compound that kills them, acyldepsipeptide. Uncultured bacteria make up the majority of species on the planet, but do not grow in the lab. We developed a general method to grow these organisms by cultivation in their natural environment. In marine sediment, siderophores from neighbors serve as growth factors for uncultured bacteria. We have recently identified growth factors for uncultured bacteria from the human microbiome. We also use uncultured bacteria as a source for discovering new antibiotics.
Institutes, Labs & Research Centers
Antimicrobial Discovery Center
Biotechnology
The Center translates basic discoveries into novel antimicrobial therapies to combat Biowarfare and conventional pathogen threats. The rise of multidrug resistant pathogens and the threat of genetically engineered bioweapons represent an urgent need for antimicrobial therapies. The Center is funded by grants from the NIH, NSF, and DOE.
Faculty
Lewis Lab
Biology
Biochemistry
The Lewis Lab studies persister cells responsible for tolerance to antibiotics, uncultured bacteria of the environment and the microbiome, and works on drug discovery.
Faculty
Publications:
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Kim Lewis in the news
May 26, 2023
Could ‘new’ antibiotic treatment prevent chronic Lyme disease?
Every year, tens of thousands of new Lyme disease patients find that their symptoms persist even after the standard course of antibiotic treatment.
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July 14, 2022
The teeny, tiny ticks that cause the most Lyme disease are out
Summer is here, meaning it’s time to break out the tick protection along with the sunscreen.Although the deer ticks that transmit Lyme disease are active whenever it’s above freezing, they are not only out now, they are so tiny—the size of a pencil tip or poppy seed—they are practically invisible.
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January 19, 2022
COS Connects: Solving Antibiotic Resistance
Hear from biology professors Kim Lewis and Eddie Geisinger to learn about the research being done to combat antibiotic resistance. Our researchers share novel solutions to this widespread issue, including the research strategies and sophisticated advancements in drug development that have made it all possible.
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January 5, 2022
Four Northeastern Professors Earn Their Place on 2021’s List of “Highly Cited Researchers”
Recognizing the groundbreaking research of four faculty members who have been named on 2021's list of "Highly Cited Researchers."
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October 7, 2021
Could this treatment prevent chronic Lyme disease?
Biology professor, Kim Lewis' research points to potential cure for chronic Lyme disease.
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June 22, 2021
It’s tick season. Here’s everything you need to know about Lyme disease
It's tick season. Kim Lewis, university distinguished professor of biology and director of the Antimicrobial Discovery Center at Northeastern, answers questions about ticks including Lyme disease prevention, symptoms, and more.
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November 30, 2020
Four Northeastern Researchers Named to 2020 List of ‘Highly Cited Researchers’
Each year, the researchers most cited by their peers are recognized for their achievements in science. This year the College of Science has four faculty with the distinction.
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September 26, 2020
Intestinal Bacteria Could Give Doctors an Objective Test for Chronic Lyme Disease
Chronic Lyme disease is a relatively unknown to the general public, but horrific fact of life for many. A new way of identifying this mysterious syndrome doesn't involve any bulls-eye rashes, but your gut.
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February 5, 2020
Six Northeastern Professors Named to 2019 List of ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ Around the Globe
The 2019 Highly Cited Researchers list features has included six Northeastern researchers who rank in in the top 1 percent by citations in their fields between 2006 and 2016.
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November 21, 2019
A New Antibiotic Has Been Hiding in the Gut of a Tiny Worm. It May Be Our Best Weapon Against Drug-resistant Bacteria.
After two years of work, a team of researchers led by Kim Lewis, University Distinguished Professor of biology, announced their discovery of darobactin, which can kill resistant microbes known as gram-negative bacteria.
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January 9, 2019
Six Northeastern Professors Named to List of ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ Around the Globe
Six Northeastern University professors have been featured in the "The 2018 Highly Cited Researchers" list, which ranks researchers around the world who have produced papers that come in at the top 1 percent by citations in their fields between 2006 and 2016.
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December 10, 2018
These bacteria may be the key to treating clinical depression
Scientists estimate that we share our bodies with 38 trillion organisms that play an integral part in keeping us healthy and making us who we are. They crawl across our skin, cling to our intestines, and generally call our bodies home. Now, a study led by researchers at Northeastern shows that there is a potential link between the bacteria that live in our gut and clinical depression.
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November 28, 2018
This solver of scientific paradoxes has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement for Sciences
Kim Lewis, who has made several major discoveries in the fight against bacterial infections, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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May 10, 2018
Ticks creep into the city, bringing Lyme disease with them
With the sprawling of suburbia comes unwanted new neighbors. Ticks are no longer only dwellers of the deep forest—they can be found in cities, too, said University Distinguished Professor Kim Lewis at Northeastern. His lab is working to develop a cure for chronic Lyme disease, which develops in a subset of people diagnosed with Lyme disease.
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July 11, 2016
Northeastern receives $9M grant to fast track the discovery of new antibiotics
A team led by University Distinguished Professor of Biology Kim Lewis received a five-year, $9 million grant from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to launch a novel platform for developing antibiotics that kill pathogens without encountering resistance.
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June 7, 2016
How serious is the threat posed by new ‘superbug’?
ICYMI: Reports of the arrival in the U.S. of a new superbug that is resistant to an antibiotic of last resort have set off alarm bells among public health officials. Northeastern professor Kim Lewis explains the new superbug, how worried we should be, and how it might be stopped.
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April 25, 2016
Northeastern researchers work to keep hospital-acquired staph infections in check
Hospital-related staph infections are rampant, with hundreds of thousands being reported in the U.S. each year. Northeastern researcher Kim Lewis and his colleagues are at the forefront of developing new drugs to stop the trend.
Read More March 29, 2016
Researchers investigate four promising new treatments for Lyme disease
Northeastern researcher Kim Lewis and his team have launched an all-out effort to find a cure for Lyme disease, which afflicts nearly 300,000 new people in the U.S. each year. Their efforts aim to bring relief to all patients, including those who suffer from a debilitating chronic version of the disease.
Read More March 21, 2016
Northeastern researcher to identify new treatments for Lyme with help from $1.5M grant
Northeastern University Distinguished Professor Kim Lewis has received a $1.5 million grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to develop better treatments for Lyme disease.
Read More July 29, 2015
New research opens the door for treatment of relapsing bacterial infections
A new discovery by University Distinguished Professor Kim Lewis and his colleagues could advance customized treatments for people with relapsing bacterial infections.
Read More June 1, 2015
Researchers’ discovery may explain difficulty in treating Lyme disease
A research team led by University Distinguished Professor Kim Lewis presents in a new paper that it has identified drug-tolerant persister cells in the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The researchers also present a promising approach to potentially eradicating this and other infections.
Read More January 7, 2015
Newly discovered antibiotic kills pathogens without resistance
Born from soil, the novel compound made possible by Northeastern researchers' pioneering work is making headlines around the world.
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July 2, 2014
ADC postdoc receives prestigious award
Brian Conlon, a Senior Scientist in Northeastern University’s Antimicrobial Discovery Center, received a Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Read More April 10, 2014
3Qs: A new path to curing chronic Lyme disease
University Distinguished Professor of Biology Kim Lewis is exploring alternative approaches to curing chronic Lyme disease using his expertise in bacterial cell persistence.
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November 13, 2013
Researchers discover new treatment to cure MRSA infection
University Distinguished Professor of Biology Kim Lewis and his team have published a study that presents a novel approach to treat and eliminate MRSA.
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October 30, 2013
Report shows Northeastern spinoffs help fuel economic growth
Three Northeastern spinoff companies were highlighted in a recent report by The Science Coalition as examples of how federally funded university research and the companies created from that work can boost the U.S. economy.
Read More March 11, 2013
Study: Antibiotics are unique assassins
In recent years, a body of publications in the microbiology field has challenged all previous knowledge of how antibiotics kill bacteria.
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