Drug Design and Discovery

The research group Drug Design and Discovery uses medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, molecular modeling, and chemoinformatics for research in early drug discovery, focusing on antimicrobial molecules.
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Selected pulications
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Recent publications
- Inhibition of PERK signaling suppresses tumor progression and blocks GP73-GRP78-dependent stromal activation in hepatocellular carcinomaKhaled, Jaafar; Kopsida, Maria; Serafín, Tania Payo et al., 2026
- One-Pot Amidation/CâH Halogenation by an Efficient Electrochemical CascadePonra, Sudipta; Sitdikov, Ruzal; Aman, Hasil et al., 2026
- Comparative LCMS2 Analysis of Synthetic Ether- and Ester-Linked Polyacids Refines Structural Boundaries for Small Molecules in Dissolved Organic MatterFlygare, Agnes D.; Moodie, Lindon W. K.; Hawkes, Jeffrey A. et al., 2026
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Publications
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[18F]MK-7246 for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of the Beta-Cell Surface Marker GPR44
Part of Pharmaceutics, 2023
- DOI for [18F]MK-7246 for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of the Beta-Cell Surface Marker GPR44
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2-Alkyl substituted benzimidazoles as a new class of selective AT2 receptor ligands
Part of Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2022
- DOI for 2-Alkyl substituted benzimidazoles as a new class of selective AT2 receptor ligands
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A Base-Free, Low Temperature Click and Release Reaction for the In Situ Generation of Diazomethane
Part of Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis, p. 1839-1845, 2023
- DOI for A Base-Free, Low Temperature Click and Release Reaction for the In Situ Generation of Diazomethane
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A Genetically Encoded Picolyl Azide for Improved Live Cell Copper Click Labeling
Part of Frontiers in Chemistry, 2021
- DOI for A Genetically Encoded Picolyl Azide for Improved Live Cell Copper Click Labeling
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Part of Journal of Organic Chemistry, p. 8527-8537, 2021
- DOI for A Study of an 8-Aminoquinoline-Directed C(sp(2))-H Arylation Reaction on the Route to Chiral Cyclobutane Keto Acids from Myrtenal
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Part of Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, p. 2446-2450, 2018
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Part of European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2021
- DOI for Antibacterial sulfonimidamide-based oligopeptides as type I signal peptidase inhibitors: Synthesis and biological evaluation
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Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2024
- DOI for Antibiotic class with potent in vivo activity targeting lipopolysaccharide synthesis in Gram-negative bacteria
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Antimicrobial Peptides Incorporating Halogenated Marine-Derived Amino Acid Substituents
Part of ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, p. 802-809, 2023
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Bacterial type I signal peptidase inhibitors-Optimized hits from nature
Part of European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2022
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Benzothiadiazole-based donor-acceptor fluorophores: Synthesis and structure-property relationship
2021
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Benzylhydroxamic acids as inhibitors of insulin regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP)
Part of European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports, 2024
- DOI for Benzylhydroxamic acids as inhibitors of insulin regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP)
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Bifunctional and regenerable molecular electrode for water electrolysis at neutral pH
Part of Journal of Materials Chemistry A, p. 13331-13340, 2023
- DOI for Bifunctional and regenerable molecular electrode for water electrolysis at neutral pH
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C1 Building Blocks: New Approaches for Thiomethylations and Esterification
2023
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Carboxylate and coordination influence on the formation of an active RuV Oxo species
Part of Scientific Reports, 2025
- DOI for Carboxylate and coordination influence on the formation of an active RuV Oxo species
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Part of Analytical Chemistry, p. 6559-6567, 2023
- DOI for Characterization of a Newly Available Coastal Marine Dissolved Organic Matter Reference Material (TRM-0522)
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Part of Neurotherapeutics, p. 1142-1152, 2020
- DOI for Characterization of More Selective Central Nervous System Nrf2-Activating Novel Vinyl Sulfoximine Compounds Compared to Dimethyl Fumarate
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Part of International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022
- DOI for Chemotherapeutics Combined with Luminal Irritants: Effects on Small-Intestinal Mannitol Permeability and Villus Length in Rats
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Part of ChemCatChem, 2022
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Part of Chemical Communications, p. 16946-16949, 2025
- DOI for Cobaltaelectro-catalyzed C–H acyloxylation of aromatic and vinylic amide derivatives at room temperature
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Part of Frontiers in Chemistry, 2024
- DOI for Co-complexes on modified graphite surface for steady green hydrogen production from water at neutral pH
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Part of Environmental Science and Technology, p. 13427-13436, 2026
- DOI for Comparative LCMS2 Analysis of Synthetic Ether- and Ester-Linked Polyacids Refines Structural Boundaries for Small Molecules in Dissolved Organic Matter
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Computational Investigation of Oxidative Addition Step in Palladium-catalyzed Reactions
2025
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Part of Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2021
- DOI for Computational studies of molecular pre-organization through macrocyclization: Conformational distribution analysis of closely related non-macrocyclic and macrocyclic analogs
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Conformational Analysis of Macrocycles: Comparing General and Specialized Methods
Part of Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, p. 231-252, 2020
- DOI for Conformational Analysis of Macrocycles: Comparing General and Specialized Methods
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Conformational Changes in Insulin Regulated Aminopeptidase
2021
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Creating New Antifoulants Using the Tools and Tactics of Medicinal Chemistry
Part of Accounts of Chemical Research, p. 399-412, 2024
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Design of a Stapled Peptide Targeting KLHL20Kelch: A Computational and Biosensor-based Approach
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Part of European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2024
- DOI for Design, synthesis, and in vitro biological evaluation of meta-sulfonamidobenzamide-based antibacterial LpxH inhibitors
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Part of Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 2023
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Development of an improved psilocybin synthesis
2020
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Dipolar Relaxation of Water Protons in the Vicinity of a Collagen-like Peptide
Part of Journal of Physical Chemistry B, p. 2538-2551, 2022
- DOI for Dipolar Relaxation of Water Protons in the Vicinity of a Collagen-like Peptide
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Docking-Based Virtual Screening for the Discovery of Potential Novel Psychedelic Compounds
2026
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2022
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Drug Resistance and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Part of Cells, 2022
- DOI for Drug Resistance and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
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Effects of collagen and chondroitin sulfate on relaxation at multiple magnetic field strengths
Part of Heliyon, 2025
- DOI for Effects of collagen and chondroitin sulfate on relaxation at multiple magnetic field strengths
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Electrochemical Cascade N-Acylation and C-H Halogenation of Azaindoles
Part of ChemElectroChem, 2026
- DOI for Electrochemical Cascade N-Acylation and C-H Halogenation of Azaindoles
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Electrochemical Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Carbonylation-Cyclization of Enallenols
Part of Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2022
- DOI for Electrochemical Palladium-Catalyzed Oxidative Carbonylation-Cyclization of Enallenols
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2023
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ENABLE: an engine for European antibacterial drug discovery and development
Part of Nature reviews. Drug discovery, p. 407-408, 2021
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Part of Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis, p. 259-267, 2021
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Enhanced Risk Assessment of Transformation Products through Chemical Similarity Analysis
Part of ACS - ES & T Water, p. 1949-1951, 2024
- DOI for Enhanced Risk Assessment of Transformation Products through Chemical Similarity Analysis
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Part of Analytical Chemistry, p. 18612-18620, 2025
- DOI for Enhanced Structural Understanding of Dissolved Organic Matter through Comparative LC/MS2 Analysis with Synthetic Carboxylate Rich Alicyclic Molecules
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Part of ACS - ES & T Water, p. 4112-4119, 2025
- DOI for Exploring the Role of Photolysis in the Aquatic Fate of Antimicrobial Transformation Products: Implications for One Health
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From anti-inflammatory to antibiotic? A new approach for targeting C. difficile
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Part of Environmental Science and Technology, p. 26539-26549, 2025
- DOI for Functional Group Distribution Shapes Chemical Properties of Degraded Terrestrial and Marine Dissolved Organic Matter
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Part of Colloids and Surfaces A, 2023
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High affinity rigidified AT(2) receptor ligands with indane scaffolds
Part of MedChemComm, p. 2146-2160, 2019
- DOI for High affinity rigidified AT(2) receptor ligands with indane scaffolds
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