Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a strain of bacteria responsible for thousands of deaths of immuno-compromised patients a year, and exhibits a high capacity for antibiotic resistance.  Overcoming antibacterial resistance requires exploring novel mechanisms of action such as intercellular bacterial communication, termed quorum sensing (QS).  QS is a population-density-dependent process where bacteria use a set of chemical signals called autoinducers to coordinate behaviors of a population.  Specifically, QS in P. aeruginosa is used to activate pathogenic traits.The proposed research involves an investigation into the synthesis and activity of small molecules designed as regulators of QS in P. aeruginosa.  A small molecule library will be synthesized based on variations of a structurally distinct compound set known as the triphenyl compounds which have similar receptor binding to the natural autoinducer.  A structure activity relationship will be used to determine the effect of each small molecule on QS activity, and adjustments to the structure will be made accordingly.

Interrupting bacterial communication: The design and synthesis of small molecules for quorum sensing regulation

244th National Meeting (2012)

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