A New Therapeutic for UTI Biofilms: Prof. Begoña Heras and Dr. Jason Paxman

New UTI therapy research underway! Grant funding has been awarded to an Australia-based research team to develop a new therapeutic that targets biofilms involved in urinary tract infections. Prof. Begoña Heras and Dr. Jason Paxman, at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, joined Melissa for an interview to share more about this exciting announcement and how their new therapeutic works. Watch the interview for more on: 👉 How the new therapy disarms bacteria. 👉 How quickly UTI patients might expect to experience improvement. 👉 Why this new therapy could make antibiotics more effective. 👉 When clinical trials are expected to launch. 👉 How you can keep up to date with progress on this newly funded research. More about the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/lims Follow Biobreak Therapeutics for updates on the project:   / biobreak-therapeutics   *About Prof. Begoña Heras* Professor Begoña Heras is an internationally recognised structural biologist and biochemist whose research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that bacteria use to cause infection. She leads the Structural Biology and Bacterial Pathogenesis Laboratory at La Trobe University and co-leads the Infection and Immunity Theme at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science. In 2025, she also became CEO of BioBreak Therapeutics, a biotechnology spin-out developing anti-biofilm therapeutics to treat chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs). Her pioneering work has advanced understanding of bacterial virulence proteins and established a therapeutic paradigm that targets virulence rather than survival, offering novel approaches to combat antimicrobial resistance. She has published more than 85 peer-reviewed papers and delivered over 80 invited and selected presentations across 15 countries, including keynote lectures at leading international conferences. Her research has attracted more than $11 million in competitive funding from national, international, and industry/philanthropic sources. Professor Heras is also a committed mentor and academic leader, having supervised numerous students and postdoctoral researchers who now hold positions in academia, industry, and government. Beyond academia, she is a strong advocate for public engagement. She co-authored the Australian Academy of Science’s 2021 report on antimicrobial resistance, contributes to media and community outreach, and champions initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in science. *About Dr. Jason Paxman* Dr Paxman is a recently appointed group leader at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science Melbourne Australia, where he performs research and undergraduate/postgraduate teaching along with performing the role of chief scientific officer at the newly formed BioBreak Therapeutics. Paxman’s internationally recognised research involves understanding at the molecular level how bacterial proteins promote infection and disease, where he can use this information to develop new therapeutics. Jason firmly believes that this level of information is essential for providing new strategies to combat the alarming rise in bacterial antimicrobial resistance. Paxman’s research has been published in more than 40 research articles, and numerous media releases, presented at more than 50 international conferences along with being recognised by 20 awards/grants. Most importantly, based on this research, Paxman together with collaborators Prof Heras and Prof Schembri under their company BioBreak Therapeutics are now developing a new anti-biofilm therapeutic (PCT/AU2019/050893) to treat recurrent and chronic urinary tract infections. *About Live UTI Free* Live UTI Free is a patient advocacy and research organization. We provide research support, recruitment for research, and free resources for patient and clinician education on topics within women's pelvic health, with a focus on UTI. We do our best to provide patients with information about clinicians who specialize in recurrent and chronic UTI, in different regions. Patients, clinicians and researchers are welcome to reach out: https://liveutifree.com/contact Post-production: Melissa Wairimu   / kreativlee_   *Disclaimer* The opinions presented in this video do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Live UTI Free team. Live UTI Free does not endorse specific treatment approaches, clinicians or diagnostics methods. The content of this video does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. The medical and/or nutritional information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen.