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Pharmacy Research Themes
Recent achievements in medicinal chemistry include the targeting of epigenetics (Ganesan), protein-protein interactions (Searcey, Beekman) and antibody-drug conjugates (Searcey). Our chemical biology interests include the discovery of biologically active natural products (Ganesan, Hamilton) and molecular pharmaceutics (Matthews). These lines of research are supported by UKRI (EPSRC (Searcey); BBSRC (Searcey, Ganesan), industrial funding (Hamilton, Ganesan), Big C (Searcey), Royal Society and British Council (Matthews, Ganesan). Ganesan was the chair of the EU funded COST action Epigenetic Chemical Biology (EPICHEM).
- By using an in vivo mouse model of lung infection we demonstrated that our novel Calix[4]arene-based glycoclusters functionalized with galactosides or fucosides provided an almost complete protection against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Matthews).
- As part of an interdisciplinary team (UCL, Southampton, Hong-Kong, UEA), Ganesan showed that NAADP signalling plays a major role in reperfusion-induced cell death and represents a potent pathway for protection against reperfusion injury.
- Searcey and Beekman discovered a highly efficient approach to the development of inhibitors of the p53/hDMX or hDM2 interaction that involves the design of small molecules in silico based upon a peptide/protein structure.
- Hamilton made significant advances in the translation of garlic derived secondary metabolites as natural pesticides that are now in commercial use.
This research cluster is led by Professor Ganesan.
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Dr Amr El-Demerdash
more...Dr El-Demerdash is an Organic and Natural Products Chemist. His work covers natural products based drug discovery, including isolation, structure elucidation, biomimetic and biosynthesis.
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Dr Andrew Beekman
more...Dr Beekman’s expertise lies in the development of new methods and discovering new pharmaceutical leads to target protein-protein interactions. Dr Beekman's research also includes designing new molecular recognition structures for delivery of cytotoxic warheads.
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Prof Ganesan
more...Prof Ganesan’s research area is in the organic synthesis of biologically active natural products. Prof Ganesan also has interests in the synthesis of epigenetic enzyme inhibitors for cancer and infectious diseases, and the synthesis of therapeutically relevant protease inhibitors, calcium signalling probes and antibiotics.
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Dr Chris Hamilton
more...Dr Hamilton’s research encompasses the study of chemical and biochemical functions of low molecular weight thiols in Gram positive bacteria, redox mechanisms of bioactive organosulfur metabolites from garlic and mechanistic enzymology.
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Dr Paul McDermott
more...The synthesis of Symplostatin 4 analogues for QSAR studies and the synthesis of Simocyclinone D8 analogues as potential antibiotics are the research interests of Dr McDermott.
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Prof Mark Searcey
more...Prof Searcey’s research group studies the targeting of DNA as a potential route to therapeutically useful molecules as anti-cancer agents, the synthesis of new molecules for medicinal chemistry and new approaches to targeting PPIs. Prof Searcey is also developing nanotechnology approaches to targeting via peptides and antibodies.