Design and Synthesis of a Potential Anti-fungal Agent
Level of Education of Students Involved
Undergraduate
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Jeff Pruet
College
Arts and Sciences
Discipline(s)
Chemistry
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-25-2024
Abstract
Fungal infections are a serious concern, as they impact many people and have high mortality rates for those who are immunocompromised. As a result of increased drug-resistant microbes, there is always a need for new drugs to combat these infections, without causing side effects in humans. Taking advantage of structural differences in the fungal form of the essential Methionine Synthase (MetSyn) enzyme, one can design compounds to selectively bind to the fungal enzyme, inhibiting fungal growth, while leaving the mammalian enzyme unaffected. We are designing, and optimizing the synthesis of, a variety of inhibitors using pterin and deazaguanine-based molecules as a scaffold to mimic folate, an essential substrate for MetSyn function. We have been testing these molecules' activity in a microbial growth assay.
Recommended Citation
Wolf, Hallie; Burton, Abby; and Pruet, Jeffrey, "Design and Synthesis of a Potential Anti-fungal Agent" (2024). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 1335.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/1335
