Department of Chemistry

Dr. Berdis, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, has received NIH funding awarded under a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The title of the proposal is “Novel Combination Therapies to Combat Hypermutable Carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa.” His project has been funded for $544,000 over a five (5) year period. The proposed research will use the artificial nucleosides developed in the Berdis lab to combat drug-resistance to b-lactam antibiotics by two (2) distinct mechanisms. The first is by the ability of the artificial nucleosides to inhibit the replication of damaged DNA generated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) after antibiotic treatment. The second is by eliminating bacterial “persisters” that arise in response to treatment with anti-microbial agents. Collectively, this research will lead to new therapies against drug-resistant bacteria such as P. aeruginosa, a deadly opportunistic pathogen that causes pneumonia.