New small-molecule tools from indole alkaloids and halogenated phenazines
Indole Alkaloids and Halogenated Phenazines: Platforms for Discovery
Creating new small molecules to find medicines that can kill bacteria and remove biofilms for people with stubborn bacterial infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Georgia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Athens, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11254931 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team is reshaping natural indole alkaloids and developing halogenated phenazines to generate a library of new small molecules with unexpected biological activities. Chemists will use ring-distortion reactions and other selective transformations to make these novel compounds, then test them in laboratory assays against bacteria and biofilms. Promising hits will be used as probes to study how they work, including gene-expression profiling and target-identification experiments. This is an early-stage discovery program based at the University of Georgia aimed at generating candidates that could move into later preclinical and clinical testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with chronic or device-associated Gram-positive bacterial infections, especially those involving biofilms (for example persistent wound infections or prosthetic joint/device infections), would be most relevant to these findings.
Not a fit: People with viral infections or non-bacterial conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this chemistry-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce new antibiotic candidates that clear biofilms and treat persistent Gram-positive bacterial infections.
How similar studies have performed: Some small-molecule antibiotic discoveries have become treatments, but re-engineering natural products via ring distortion is a newer approach with limited clinical precedent so far.
Where this research is happening
Athens, United States
- University of Georgia — Athens, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huigens, Robert William — University of Georgia
- Study coordinator: Huigens, Robert William
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.