Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Synthesis And Biological Activity Of Novel Quorum Sensing Compounds, Joseph Nicholas Capilato

Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria communicate with chemical signals in a process known as quorum sensing. This population density-dependent process involves the bacterial production, release and detection of structurally specific small molecules and enables the bacterial pathogen to regulate its virulence on a population-wide level. Using a variety of chemical and biological techniques, I have studied various quorum sensing systems in several bacteria, including Vibrio cholera and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A key principle of this research involves the design, synthesis and testing of novel compounds for their biological activity. These molecules are typically based off of an initial lead target, which is often identified …

Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation Of Nitroalkenes To Primary Amines, Brendan Phillips

Chemistry Honors Papers

This work describes synthetic methodology development in organic chemistry. The goal of this work is to demonstrate new ways of making biologically-relevant molecules that are in line with the principles of green chemistry (chemical practices which seek to be, regarding human and environmental health, benign by design). To this end, a new method has been developed toward the introduction of primary amine functionalities into organic molecules from readily-available aldehydes, via reduction of nitroalkene intermediates. Traditional methods of reducing nitroalkenes to primary amines require harsh conditions, often produce stoichiometric amounts of metal salt waste, and present significant safety challenges to the …

Quinolines: Novel Synthesis And Derivatives Of Heterocyclic Bioactive Agents, Ginelle A. Ramann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tuberculosis is a pulmonary disease that has ravaged the world throughout history. Even today, many developed and developing countries are experiencing this plight, made worse by the scourge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis's class II fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase presents an interesting target in the design of new therapies against this disease. Previous attempts to construct an inhibitor to this enzyme fell short due to poor selectivity or poor cellular uptake. However a new class of noncompetitive inhibitor based on 8-hydoxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid presents a fresh approach. Preliminary studies indicate various modifications to this scaffold could be beneficial to its inhibitory efficacy.

Modifications …