Computational/Experimental Protocol for Development of a Therapeutic Agent for Treatment of Tuberculosis

It is estimated that one third of the world’s population is infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. With the emergence of drug resistant tuberculosis, the World Health Organization has declared tuberculosis a global health emergency. UDP-galactopyranose mutase, an enzyme essential for tuberculosis bacterial growth and infection, will be studied by a protocol which combines advanced NMR and computational modeling techniques. By combining computational models with experimental data from NMR, critical binding interactions of the natural substrates and inhibitors to UDP-galactopyranose mutase can be observed. The information from the binding interactions will be used in the design of novel drugs effective against drug resistant tuberculosis strains. Advancement of the computational/experimental protocol will allow more rapid assessment of drug targets and interactions by research groups around the world.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. B. Mario Pinto

Student:

Yue Yuan and Dustin Bleile

Partner:

Zymeworks Inc.

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

Simon Fraser University