Unconventional Approaches Toward Natural Product Research

DRA lecture held by Assoc. Prof. John Chu, Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University

Natural products research provides a window into exploring new reactions and chemical spaces. In this presentation, I will discuss two antibiotics along this theme. The first example concerns calcium-dependent antibiotics (CDAs), a class of peptide natural products whose antibacterial activity relies on Ca(II). By modifying the peptide sequence, we converted it into a boron-dependent antibiotic whose activity is triggered by phenylboronic acid rather than Ca(II). This reprogrammed system offered a distinct perspective on the molecular basis of CDA activation. The second example focuses on lasso peptides, which possess a mechanically interlocked rotaxane architecture. We established new strategies for modifying this unique scaffold, allowing the preparation of new-to-nature lasso peptides through the incorporation of both canonical and noncanonical building blocks. This work provided insights into lasso peptide biosynthesis and also hints at the possibility of creating mechanically interlocked molecules for biomedical applications.

The lecture is organised on behalf of the graduate programme in pharmaceutical sciences, Drug Research Academy, by Professor Christian Adam Olsen, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

The DRA lecture is free of charge and open for attendance by all interested parties. It is not necessary to pre-register.