A team of scientists from Scotland, Sweden and Germany, led by the University of Dundee, have been awarded nearly £3.8 million from the European Union to develop new drugs to fight some of the most resistant bacterial superbugs.

A spokesperson for Dundee University explained that the Aeropath project aims to find new drugs to combat infections which are a particular problem for people suffering from cystic fibrosis, burns victims, and patients whose immune system is suppressed.

The University of Dundee is leading the research partnership, which also includes St Andrews University, the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and two German-based companies, Lionex and MFD Diagnostics.

The project is funded by the European Union through a programme for research and innovation.

Professor Bill Hunter, from the College of Life Sciences at Dundee, said: "These bacterial species are highly resistant to most current drugs.

"What we are doing in this project is seeking out chemicals which can underpin future antibiotic drug development to combat these dangerous bacteria."

The project will fund eight new posts for post-doctoral researchers across the partner institutions.