Slaying Superbugs One Natural Product at a Time

Please join Yale Chemistry for a Silliman Seminar in organic chemistry with Bill Wuest, Professor of Chemistry and Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator, Emory University.

The Wuest Group synthesizes natural products with interesting antibacterial activity to identify their biological targets. Using synthetic chemistry, they build derivatives of these compounds to optimize their potency and then use microbiological techniques to investigate their effects on pathogenic species such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Streptococcus mutans. In addition to chemical synthesis, the Wuest lab desires to understand how our molecules exert their antimicrobial activity. They study this through in-house biological assays and collaborations with experts in the field. For example, promysalin’s mechanism of action and molecular target was probed with many different assays such as metal binding, resistance selection, and proteomics. In addition, the Wuest lab has expertise with molecules that perturb bacterial membranes and has used various fluorometric and absorbance-based probes to understand how these molecules work. They also study how bacteria respond to a molecule by imaging and quantifying biofilm along with other virulence factors. Together, these tools give us a deeper understanding of our molecules and help advance the knowledge of bacteria’s response to antimicrobial compounds. For more information on all the areas of research the Wuest Group tackles: The Wuest Lab.

Hosted by Prof. Seth Herzon.

Sponsored by the Mrs. Hepsa Ely Silliman Memorial Fund.