Antimicrobial Drug Discovery Targeting Purine Biosynthesis and C. diffcile Spore Germination

"Antimicrobial Drug Discovery Targeting Purine Biosynthesis and C. diffcile Spore Germination" Guest Speaker: Steve Firestine- Wayne State University Thursday, Oct. 17th, 2019 Science Building 010 ("the Pit") 11:30a - 12:30p

Antibiotics are arguably one of the greatest achievements in medical science, yet their utility is slowly being eroded by the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. To combat this problem, new antibiotics focused on novel targets are desperately needed. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical industry has divested from antimicrobial drug discovery leaving only small biotechnology companies and academia to find the next generation of antibiotics. The Firestine laboratory has been focused on the discovery of antimicrobial agents targeting de novo purine biosynthesis and spore germination. In this seminar, we will discuss the unique biochemical differences in purine biosynthesis in bacteria versus humans and efforts underway to exploit this difference in drug discovery. We will also discuss the challenges of C. difficile infections and our studies aimed at providing a drug to protect against this pathogen.

Guest Speaker: Steve Firestine- Wayne State University
Thursday, Oct. 17th, 2019
Science Building 010 ("the Pit")
11:30a - 12:30p

Location details

Science Building 010- located at the ground level of the Science Building