Newcastle University
Chemistry

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) are both areas in which conventional structures in drug discovery are failing; there is a critical requirement for novel therapies in both of these areas. Whilst alternative modalities such as cyclic peptides (CPs) have shown potential for application in these areas, in vivo they suffer from multiple limitations that prevent their progression as clinical candidates. The undesirable properties of CPs could be overcome through the use of peptidomimetics; specifically, the incorporation of a non-peptidic component to yield a cyclic peptide small molecule hybrid (CyPeM).

My research involves the investigation of CyPeMs as modalities for these disease areas using DNA-encoded libraries (DELs), a technique in which compounds are identifiable through conjugation to a unique DNA “barcode”. DELs allow for the synthesis and screening of up to billions of compounds simultaneously, facilitating the rapid identification of potential drug molecules. The identification of novel biologically active structures within the fields of AMR and NDD would be revolutionary for the disease areas, with long-term implications involving the development of new therapeutic candidates for application within the clinic.