Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

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.