<p> <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen and a World Health Organization (WHO) priority organism, owing to rising rates of multidrug resistance and the increasing burden of infections in both community and healthcare settings. These challenges, together with the lack of an effective vaccine, highlight an urgent need to identify new therapeutic targets for the treatment of <em>K. pneumoniae</em> infections. </p> <p> Zinc is an essential first-row transition metal ion required by all forms of life. In bacteria, zinc has critical roles in cellular physiology and virulence. This PhD project will employ state-of-the-art molecular, structural, and elemental analytical techniques to characterise newly identified systems involved in <em>K. pneumoniae</em> zinc acquisition and resistance. The project will examine how these systems contribute to evasion of host innate immune responses and antimicrobial resistance. Insights gained from this work will provide a strong foundation for the development of novel therapeutics targeting bacterial metal homeostasis pathways. </p>
