Roberta Melander
Associate Research Professor
- Office
- 252 McCourtney Hall - West
Notre Dame, IN 46556 - rmelande@nd.edu
Research Areas
- Biochemistry
Research Specialties
- Medicine
Prospective Graduate Students
Biography
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2018-present | Associate Research Professor, University of Notre Dame |
| 2011-present | Editor, Chemical Biology and Drug Design |
| 2011-2018 | Research Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University |
| 2009-2011 | Postdoctoral Research Associate, North Carolina State University |
| 2008-2009 | Postdoctoral Research Associate, University College London |
| 2008 | Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry, University of Manchester |
| 2004 | M.Chem. in Medicinal Chemistry, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology |
Research Interests
My research centers on using small molecules to study and control bacterial behaviors. I am interested in developing molecules that mediate: antibiotic resistance and tolerance, evolution of resistance to antimicrobial agents, and virulence, as potential novel therapeutic options for treating bacterial infections. I am also working to identify molecules that influence secondary metabolite production to identify novel antimicrobials.
Selected Publications
- Stefaniak, M. A.; Gondil, V. S.; Gillis, E. P.; Nemeth, A. M.; Oliver, A. G.; Melander, R. J.; Dunman, P. M. and Melander, C. "Exploration of a Benzothiophene Scaffold for use as Adjuvants with β-Lactam Antibiotics Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus" 2026 RSC Medicinal Chemistry, 17 (5), pp.2444–2454. DOI: 10.1039/d5md01109d.
- Bennett, A. N.; Maziarz, J. F.; Laipply, B.; Cole, A. L.; Woolard, K. J.; Sorge, A.; Zeiler, M. J.; Melander, R. J.; Melander, C. and Gunn, J. S. "Mechanisms of Antibiofilm Compounds JG-1 and M4 Across Multiple Species: Alterations of Protein Interactions Essential to Biofilm Formation" 2025 Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 15, 1631575. DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1631575.
- Crotteau, A. N.; Nemeth, A. M.; Melander, R. J. and Melander, C. "2-Aminoimidazole-Benzimidazole Conjugates Potentiate the Gram-Positive Selective Antibiotic Clarithromycin Against Acinetobacter baumannii" 2025 ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 16 (8), pp.1562–1568. DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.5c00201.
- Mattingly, A. E.; Li, H. T.; Melander, R. J. and Melander, C. "Validation of a Cystic Fibrosis Co-Culture Model for the Identification of Dual Acting Compounds with Antibiotic and Antibiotic Adjuvant Properties" 2025 ACS Infectious Diseases, 11 (6), pp.1686–1696. DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.5c00226.
- Butman, H. S.; Stefaniak, M. A.; Walsh, D. J.; Gondil, V. S.; Young, M.; Crow, A. H.; Nemeth, A. M.; Melander, R. J.; Dunman, P. M. and Melander, C. "Phenyl Urea Based Adjuvants for β-Lactam Antibiotics Against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus" 2025 Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 121, 130164. DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2025.130164.
- Koller, B. H.; Jania, L. A.; Li, H. T.; Barker, W. T.; Melander, R. J. and Melander, C. "Adjuvants Restore Colistin Sensitivity in Mouse Models of Highly Colistin-Resistant Isolates, Limiting Bacterial Proliferation and Dissemination" 2024 Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 68 (10), e00671-24. DOI: 10.1128/aac.00671-24.