Our bioorganic chemistry program aims to design and synthesize small molecules and molecular probes with specific biological activities, focusing on understanding their structure-activity relationships and target interactions.

We currently focus on two main research programs:

1. Targeting essential enzymes in Mycobacteria species:
   This program primarily involves the synthesis and study of enzyme inhibitors targeting the trehalose utilization pathways of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). Mtb is estimated to infect up to one-third of the world’s population, with approximately eight million people developing active infections annually. Tragically, TB causes around 1.4 million deaths each year. The emergence of extensively drug-resistant Mtb strains has made many cases difficult to treat, highlighting the urgent need for new therapeutic approaches. We aim to discover small molecule enzyme inhibitors as probes to study these essential Mtb enzymes, potentially leading to novel TB treatments. To date, we have reported several highly active compounds.

2. Oligosaccharide-based Immunotherapeutics:
   This program explores the use of synthetic oligosaccharide-based antigens for the synthesis of antibacterial vaccines. Additionally, this program investigates the use of carbohydrate-based Antibody Recruiting Molecules (ARMs) and new vaccine adjuvant formulations to enhance the immune response to the antigens.

Both programs are highly collaborative, providing students with opportunities to engage with experts in structural biology, microbiology, and immunology.