Medicinal & Biological Chemistry

This area is focused on drug design and development, with an emphasis on the biological chemistry of proteins and peptides.  Much work is this area is related to identifying and synthesizing small novel molecules, and framing biological questions that small molecules might help answer by blocking or activating protein targets.  Another key area is the investigation of metalloproteins and the roles of metals in disease.

Examples of projects include:

• Professor Andrew Abell – the inhibition of biotin protein ligase: new anti-bacteria agents
• Professor John Bowie – the search for the sex-pheromone of the cane toad
• Professor John Carver – molecular chaperone proteins: their structure, function and interactions
• Dr Hugh Harris – metalloproteins and roles of metals in disease
• Dr Tak Kee – interactions of natural medicinal molecules/drugs with membranes and micelles
• Professor Stephen Lincoln – enzyme mimics and molecular reactors
• Dr Jonathan Morris – total synthesis of biologically active natural products
• Dr Tara Pukala – structural determination of biologically important proteins
• Dr Simon Pyke – structure-based drug design