UIUC Biophysics and Related Seminars

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Biochemistry Seminar: Dr. Kou-San Ju (The Ohio State University, Department of Microbiology), “Genomics-Accelerated Discovery and Biosynthesis of Phosphonic Acid Natural Products"

Event Type
Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor
Dr. Satish Nair, Department of Biochemistry
Virtual
wifi event
Date
Apr 23, 2021   12:00 pm  
Speaker
Dr. Kou-San Ju, Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University
Contact
Sherry Unkraut
E-Mail
sunkraut@illinois.edu
Phone
217-333-2013
Views
52
Originating Calendar
Biochemistry Department Seminars

Abstract - Phosphonic acids are a class of natural products with significant potential for utility in medicine and biotechnology. Underlying the antibiotic, herbicidal, and antiviral activity of many phosphonic acid natural products is their mimicry of cellular phosphate esters and carboxylic acids to inhibit essential metabolic pathways. Although genomics illuminates a growing trove of thousands of gene clusters suggestive of novel phosphonic acids across all microbial taxa, accurate de novo forecasting of their chemical products and inhibitory properties to prioritize discovery is precluded by our nascent understanding of their biosynthetic diversity. In search of methods to improve genomics-enabled discovery of phosphonic acids, my research group seeks to understand universal physiological and biochemical principles underlying the chemical diversity of these natural products. The seminar will describe our efforts to expand and refine the framework of phosphonic acid natural product genomics by the isolation of new compounds from cryptic gene clusters and the discovery of new pathways and enzymes for their biosynthesis.

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