Julie Wesselink
The Antibacterial Properties of GV-1 and GV-2 Chemical Derivatives
Scientific and medical advances abound in the 21st century, but some tried-and-true treatments are now putting this capacity for medical development to the test. Bacterial strains that were once easily abated with antibiotics have become a daunting obstacle, mutated into forms that render those same antibiotics powerless to stop them. The crux of this research project is to find what hospitals are seeking today: variations of a chemical compound that will prove to be effective against Gram-positive bacteria, including the antibiotic-resistant pathogens Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).
The goal of this study is to build on previous research and collaboration with the GVSU Chemistry department to develop and test variations of antibiotic compounds “GV-1” and “GV-2” that have had success inhibiting Gram-positive bacteria. Ideally we would find derivatives of these compounds that were potent enough to inhibit bacterial growth at concentrations lower than 1 microgram per milliliter. Upon finding compound variations that showed this degree of strength, we would then do further testing in infectious disease model scenarios. A more recent addendum to the project includes testing a few select antibiotic compounds against Ustilago maydis, a fungal pathogen that causes corn smut. This corn disease is the thorn in the side of livestock businesses, much like MRSA is the blight of hospitals today. Because the antibiotic compounds we are developing and testing attack bacteria in a different way than antibiotics have in the past, these novel compounds could address disease questions that seem to be stumping scientists in the midst of current medical progress.
Faculty Mentor: Roderick Morgan, Biology
The Antibacterial Properties of GV-1 and GV-2 Chemical Derivatives
Scientific and medical advances abound in the 21st century, but some tried-and-true treatments are now putting this capacity for medical development to the test. Bacterial strains that were once easily abated with antibiotics have become a daunting obstacle, mutated into forms that render those same antibiotics powerless to stop them. The crux of this research project is to find what hospitals are seeking today: variations of a chemical compound that will prove to be effective against Gram-positive bacteria, including the antibiotic-resistant pathogens Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).
The goal of this study is to build on previous research and collaboration with the GVSU Chemistry department to develop and test variations of antibiotic compounds “GV-1” and “GV-2” that have had success inhibiting Gram-positive bacteria. Ideally we would find derivatives of these compounds that were potent enough to inhibit bacterial growth at concentrations lower than 1 microgram per milliliter. Upon finding compound variations that showed this degree of strength, we would then do further testing in infectious disease model scenarios. A more recent addendum to the project includes testing a few select antibiotic compounds against Ustilago maydis, a fungal pathogen that causes corn smut. This corn disease is the thorn in the side of livestock businesses, much like MRSA is the blight of hospitals today. Because the antibiotic compounds we are developing and testing attack bacteria in a different way than antibiotics have in the past, these novel compounds could address disease questions that seem to be stumping scientists in the midst of current medical progress.
Faculty Mentor: Roderick Morgan, Biology
Page last modified July 15, 2010
