Unrestricted.2016-11-142011-02-182016-11-141993-05http://hdl.handle.net/2346/11277With beta-lactam antibiotics being the most widely used antibacterial agents in clinical use In the world today, mechanistic studies of these enzymes, called betalactamases, which are responsible for beta-lactam antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria have become Increasingly Important. Mechanistic studies have enabled researchers to develop a suicide or mechanism-based inhibitor, known commercially as Augmentin, which inactivates beta-lactamase I, a class A enzyme. Currently, there are no known inhibitors of beta-lactamase II, a class B enzyme.application/pdfengMetal ionsDrug resistance in microorganismsBeta lactamasesDissertation