Transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetases as drug targets in Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria is a major worldwide infectious disease. The disease kills around 2 million people every year, and current drugs are increasingly failing due to parasite drug resistance, creating an urgent demand for new drugs, that inhibit different targets. The Fellow will study a new class of parasite drug targets, the transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase enzymes to find novel inhibitors. Compounds blocking ....Transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetases as drug targets in Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria is a major worldwide infectious disease. The disease kills around 2 million people every year, and current drugs are increasingly failing due to parasite drug resistance, creating an urgent demand for new drugs, that inhibit different targets. The Fellow will study a new class of parasite drug targets, the transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) synthetase enzymes to find novel inhibitors. Compounds blocking these enzymes may lead to new drugs to combat malaria.Read moreRead less
Uncovering novel metabolic processes in eukaryotic cells. This project aims to investigate the origin and function of the large number of chemically undefined metabolites that occur in all cells. The project will utilise advanced analytical techniques, as well as computational and genetic approaches, to characterise the chemical structures of these metabolites and identity the enzymes involved in their synthesis and degradation. It will provide new information on the metabolic capacity of eukary ....Uncovering novel metabolic processes in eukaryotic cells. This project aims to investigate the origin and function of the large number of chemically undefined metabolites that occur in all cells. The project will utilise advanced analytical techniques, as well as computational and genetic approaches, to characterise the chemical structures of these metabolites and identity the enzymes involved in their synthesis and degradation. It will provide new information on the metabolic capacity of eukaryotic cells and allow the generation of more accurate models of metabolism. These outcomes have important biotechnology applications and will identify metabolic processes that underpin normal and disease states in animals and human cells.Read moreRead less