Jade Williams

The primary project focuses on the development of efficient and concise syntheses of naturally occurring microbial metabolites in order to enable their biological study. There is a growing need for novel therapeutic agents and identification of bacterial targets in the treatment of infectious disease. Thus far, successful completion of the synthesis of the siderophore coelichelin has enabled a collaboration with the Skaar Lab. To date, it has been demonstrated that synthetic coelichelin as well as an N-acylated analog can be utilized to promote bacterial growth in gram-negative, P. aeruginosa. Preliminary results indicate that coelichelin and its analogs could be used in the development of siderophore-antibiotic conjugates and enable advanced study of metal acquisition pathways. A second project focuses on the development of a synthetic route allowing access to the alkylpiperidine arenosclerin, which has not previously been synthesized. Arenosclerin has demonstrated antibacterial activity against several antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates in both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. However, further evaluation of arenosclerin has been limited by its availability. An efficient synthetic strategy to provide sufficient material for biological study has now been developed. Following total synthesis of arenosclerin, preliminary studies will commence to further characterize its antibacterial activity and identify its cellular target. 

Mentor: Gary A. Sulikowski, Ph.D.