Research Focus

My research is focused on investigating the mechanism of antimicrobial activity of a new anti-mycobacterial compound identified in a high-throughput chemical screen. The compound being studied, named 356313, is highly potent, with a minimal inhibitory concentration comparable to that of currently used anti-TB drugs, and has demonstrated bactericidal killing in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Identification of the mechanism of action of this compound may lead to the discovery of previously unknown biological pathways required for mycobacterial survival, allowing the identification of potentially new therapeutic targets to inform rational anti-TB drug design.