Antimicrobials through Chemoenzymatic Synthesis

Our research

Natural products (NPs) have historically played a crucial role in drug discovery due to their bioactivity-rich scaffolds, which serve as valuable templates for therapeutic agents. However, their use in drug development has dwindled, primarily because of the difficulties associated with isolating these compounds from natural sources or the limitations of conventional synthetic methods. By harnessing the unique reactivity and selectivity of enzymes from NP biosynthetic pathways combined with cutting-edge organic chemistry techniques, we aim to develop practical solutions to access those NPs and their analogs. Besides developing feasible synthetic routes for NPs active against Plasmodium falciparum, the causative pathogen of malaria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other microorganisms, we are focusing on the discovery of novel biocatalysts. By generating a biocatalyst library, we are aiming to fortify the traditional synthetic toolkit available for NP synthesis while providing deeper insights into underexplored enzyme chemistry.