PROJECTS
Structure-activity relationship studies of peptide/bioactive molecules of natural origin and/or their derivatives
Structural-functional relationships of peptides from amphibian skin are carried out. Analogs containing non proteinogenic amino acids are designed and investigated for their antimicrobial/cytolytic effects by in vitro assays and correlated to their structural properties by circular dichroism spectra and NMR spectroscopy.
In parallel the screening of antimicrobial activity of small non peptide molecules of plant origin are carried out.
Collaborators:
Prof. Paolo Grieco, Prof. Alfonso Carotenuto, Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
Prof. Bruno Botta, Department of Chemistry and Drug Technology, Sapienza University of Rome, ITALY
Michael J. Conlon, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK