Roberta Melander

Roberta Melander

Biography

2018-present
Research Associate 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.

Recent Publications

  • Siwawannapong, K.; Nemeth, A. M.; Melander, R. J.; Rong, J.; Davis, J. R.; Taniguchi, M.; Carpenter, M. E.; Lindsey, J. S. and Melander, C. C. "Simple Dipyrrin Analogues of Prodigiosin for use as Colistin Adjuvants" 2022 ChemMedChem, in press. DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200286.
  • Woolard, K. J.; Sandala, J. L.; Melander, R. J.; Gunn, J. S. and Melander, C. "Development of Small Molecules that Work Cooperatively with Ciprofloxacin to Clear Salmonella Biofilms in a Chronic Gallbladder Carriage Model" 2022 European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 232, 114203. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114203.
  • Zeiler, M. J.; Connors, G. M.; Durling, G. M.; Oliver, A. G.; Marquez, L.; Melander, R. J.; Quave, C. L. and Melander, C. "Synthesis, Stereochemical Confirmation, and Derivatization of 12(S),16 Epsilon-Dihydroxycleroda-3,13-Dien-15,16-Olide, a Clerodane Diterpene that Sensitizes Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus to Beta-Lactam Antibiotics" 2022 Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, e202117458. DOI: 10.1002/anie.202117458.
  • Melander, R. J.; Mattingly, A. E. and Melander, C. "Phenotypic Screening of Compound Libraries as a Platform for the Identification of Antibiotic Adjuvants: Identification of Colistin Adjuvants from a Natural Product Library" 2022 Methods in Enzymology, 665, pp.153-176. DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.11.005.
  • Li, H.; Mattingly, A. E.; Jania, L. A.; Smith, R.; Melander, R. J.; Ernst, R. K.; Koller, B. H. and Melander, C. "Benzimidazole Isosteres of Salicylanilides are Highly Active Colistin Adjuvants" 2021 ACS Infectious Diseases, 7 (12), pp.3303-3313. DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00463.
  • Weig, A. W.; Barlock, S. L.; O'Connor, P. M.; Marciano, O. M.; Smith, R.; Ernst, R. K.; Melander, R. J. and Melander, C. "A Scaffold Hopping Strategy to Generate New Aryl-2-Amino Pyrimidine MRSA Biofilm Inhibitors" 2021 RSC Medicinal Chemistry, 12 (2), pp.293-296. DOI: 10.1039/d0md00238k.

 

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