Antimicrobial peptoids

Over the past 13 years my lab has developed a number of technologies and active biologics related to antimicrobial drug discovery and development. At the heart of our work is a patented methodology that allows us to very rapidly interrogate a large chemical space and identify unique antimicrobial compounds against a variety of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The class of compounds we focus on are a type of peptide mimic known as peptoids, which maintain the advantages of peptides (ease of synthesis, modular design, good solubility) while overcoming the shortcomings of peptides (proteolytic susceptibility, immunogenicity).

We have applied this high-throughput methodology to discover and validate lead compounds against a variety of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The most promising compounds are also patent protected. In addition to validation against clinical and drug-resistant pathogen strains, my lab also evaluates cellular toxicity, mechanism of action, synergistic activity, stability, resistance development, and several other important therapeutic properties. Our most promising compounds are currently being progressed into animal model testing for stability, PK, ADME, safety, and efficacy.

We are looking for corporate partners who are interested in partnering or licensing to further development our best compounds toward clinical and commercial application.