Justin Nodwell

Antibiotic resistance, streptomyces, small molecule analysis Microbiology, Molecular Medicine and Drug Discovery Chemical Communication and Warfare Among Microorganisms All bacteria secrete small organic molecules that have biological activities. Some serve as signals that coordinate group activities, others are toxic to competing organisms and serve to protect the producer and define its niche, still others bind and sequester rare nutrients. Our goal is to understand the biological roles and biochemical activities of these molecules. Importantly, these molecules are extremely useful as drugs. Our research therefore straddles the line between fundamental questions on the chemical biology of microbial life and the quest for new medicines. This is important both because there is a significant need for new therapeutic approaches to infectious disease – due in part part to the inexorable increase in antibiotic resistance, and for other diseases such as cancer. By harnessing the chemical biology of microbial life therefore, we aim to have an important impact of the development of new, lifesaving medications.