Colleagues,
The Department of Chemistry and Physics continues its Seminar series. Details for this week’s talk are given below.
Friday, 9/23/2022
3-4pm Eastern, Grote 411
Daniel L. Baker, PhD
Department of Chemistry, University of Memphis
www.memphis.edu/chem/people/faculty/dlbaker.php
Collaborative Work Toward the Identification of Novel Antibiofilm Agents
Biofilms result when bacteria attach to surfaces and generate an extracellular polymeric matrix. This matrix helps to provide a physical barrier that prevents antibiotic access and reverts some planktonic bacteria to a persister phenotype that further impacts antibiotic effectiveness. Biofilms are significant problems in many hospital acquired infections, in cases with serious wounds and burns, and with medical implants. Biofilm associated infections result in significant increases in morbidity and mortality. Previously, it has been shown that medium chain fatty acid analogs (known as diffusible signaling factors- DSF) can act to prevent and disburse biofilms and act synergistically with standard antibiotics.
Over the past three years, I have collaborated with a diverse group of investigators at the University of Memphis, J. Amber Jennings, Biomedical Engineering and Tomoko Fujiwara, Chemistry, to evaluate novel DSF as potential antibiofilm and combination antibiotic agents. This work encompasses the optimization of synthetic approaches, stereochemical synthesis, quantitative analytical method development, stability determination, and bioassays. This work has been funded in part by the NIH, DOD, and NSF.
Keenan Dungey
Department Head, Chemistry & Physics