Despite the urgent need for the development of novel antibiotics to combat the drastic rise in the number of antibiotic resistant bacteria, only a few novel antibiotics have been developed in recent times. In pathogenic bacteria, such as Chlamydia trachomatis, diaminopimelate aminotransferase catalyses a specific reaction in the diaminopimelate/lysine anabolic pathway that is necessary for both cell wall peptidoglycan and amino acid protein synthesis. We have identified the enzyme L,L-diaminopimelate aminotransferase (DapL) as a novel and attractive target for narrow-spectrum antibiotic development given, 1) its role in cell wall peptidoglycan biosynthesis; 2) role in the biosynthesis of the amino acid lysine; and 3) its presence in certain bacterial lineages. This project will work towards the development of antibiotics that are specific for DapL in pathogenic bacteria.