GRADUATE STUDENTS
Project Title:
Isolation, characterization and structural elucidation of anti-plasmodial compounds from selected Ghanaian plants
Doctoral candidate, PhD Chemistry
Expected year of completion:
2023
Email:
abdulnasirabdullah8@gmail.com
Project Summary
Drug resistance has been a threat to health workers, patients and researchers alike. The efficacy of most synthetic drugs are more often compromised due to cases of drug resistant pathogens. Ethno- medically most plants have been implicated for the treatment of malaria and related ailments. This project seeks to unearth compounds that can possibly serve as precursors for the development of new anti-malaria drugs from Ghanaian plants used to traditionally treat malaria. This research, when successfully completed will provide a rationale for the development of sustainable conservation strategies to maintain the diversity of flora in Ghana.
Felix Ayisi
Project Title:
Computer-aided Design of Novel Proline-rich Antimicrobial Peptides Inspired by Peptide from Olivancillaria hiatula
Doctoral candidate, PhD Chemistry
Expected year of completion:
2023
Email:
engasu24@gmail.com
Project Summary
Infectious diseases remain a significant threat to the attainment of good health and well-being globally. The rise in resistance of microorganisms to existing antibiotics has led to a drain in the global pharmaceutical pipeline, increasing estimated morbidity and mortality rates. This necessitates the search for novel antimicrobials, resilient with respect to their mechanism of action and least prone to resistance. This work seeks to isolate and characterize peptides from Olivancillaria hiatula, and investigate their anti-microbial, anti-biofilm and quorum sensing inhibition properties in vitro and in silico models.
Edward Ntim Gasu
Project Title:
Computer simulation of antimicrobial peptides against model membranes of microorganisms
MPhil. Chemistry
Expected year of completion:
2023
Email:
jehoshaphatmensah@gmail.com
Project Summary
As a result of widespread and injudicious drug use, the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms has been accelerated, posing a serious threat to global public health. The aforementioned issue raises the need for antimicrobial agents that are effective against these antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms. Antimicrobial peptides are a potential class of antimicrobials with a low risk of resistance, and their activity have been related to their ability to selectively disrupt bacterial cell membranes through pore formation. My work seeks to explore the mechanism of action of known antimicrobial peptides against model membranes of microorganisms.
Jehoshaphat Oppong Mensah