Major
Molecular Biology
Anticipated Graduation Year
2021
Access Type
Restricted Access
Abstract
Life-threatening bacterial infections have been rising drastically due to high rates of antibiotic resistance. This research utilizes a medicinal chemistry approach to synthesize new antibiotics that target the key bacterial enzyme DapE. DapE is an enzyme that is part of the succinylase pathway and is essential for bacterial proliferation. As lysine is necessary for protein synthesis, molecules that can inhibit the DapE enzyme have the potential to be antimicrobial agents with a new mechanism of action. This research also introduces a new way to test novel antibiotic utility by administering the antibiotics to human gut microbial communities in vitro.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Michael Burns PhD Dept. of Biology; Daniel Becker PhD Dept. of Chemistry
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Using the Human Microbiome as a Model for Antibiotic Efficacy
Life-threatening bacterial infections have been rising drastically due to high rates of antibiotic resistance. This research utilizes a medicinal chemistry approach to synthesize new antibiotics that target the key bacterial enzyme DapE. DapE is an enzyme that is part of the succinylase pathway and is essential for bacterial proliferation. As lysine is necessary for protein synthesis, molecules that can inhibit the DapE enzyme have the potential to be antimicrobial agents with a new mechanism of action. This research also introduces a new way to test novel antibiotic utility by administering the antibiotics to human gut microbial communities in vitro.