Infrastructure for the Purification and Chemical Biological Antibacterial and Antifungal Compounds

Our expertise is in chemical genetics and microbiology – essentially, the production of biologically active small molecules by living systems and the interactions of those molecules with bacteria. We can culture a diverse array of environmental microorganisms, including both bacteria (predominantly streptomycetes and other closely related actinobacteria), and rare fungi (predominantly Cordyceps). We have developed culture conditions (chemical and genetic elicitation) that cause these microorganisms to express their ‘secondary metabolism’ to the fullest, thus permitting the detection and subsequent purification of diverse, biologically active molecules that can be used in drug discovery.