Chemical Biology and Screening Collaborative Core

Dr. Snezna Rogelj New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico

The advent of the collaborative research discipline of Chemical Biology has empowered molecular and cellular biologists with new chemical tools and approaches and provided novel opportunities for drug discovery. With the support from the NM-INBRE program, an innovative, multidisciplinary team of investigators at partner institution, New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology (NMT), initiated a collaborative Chemical and Biological Screening Core program that is making significant progress identifying novel bioactive compounds as leads for drug discovery.

In addition to systematically screening natural and synthetic compounds obtained from INBRE and non-INBRE collaborators for anti-cancer and anti-bacterial activities, CBSC is investigating a series of novel synthetic compounds, synthesized by INBRE’s Dr. Igor Magedov and Dr. Alexander Kornienko, which show promising anti-MRSA activity. Chemical Engineer Dr. Michaelann Tartis (http://infohost.nmt.edu/~cheme/ ), an NMT INBRE investigator closely associated with CBSC, has assembled a strong interdisciplinary research group that studies targeted drug delivery using liposomes and microbubbles.

The CBSC has created an exciting environment that involves students (graduate and undergraduate) in biomedical research, and is achieving a remarkable success as measured by publications (including students as co-authors), faculty earning tenure & promotion, and improved competitiveness for external funding.