The emerging crisis of antibiotic resistance requires a multi-pronged approach in order to
avert the onset of a post-antibiotic age. Studies of antibiotic uptake and localisation in live
cells may inform the design of improved drugs and help develop a better understanding of
bacterial resistance and persistence. To facilitate this research, we have synthesised
fluorescent derivatives of the macrolide antibiotic erythromycin. These analogues exhibit a
similar spectrum of antibiotic activity to the parent drug and are capable of labelling both …