For more information contact:
Shirley Tomes, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Contact Shirley Tomes shirley.tomes@chemistry.gatech.edu
404-894-0591
Researchers Identify Genes for Thiostrepton
Atlanta (April 13, 2009) — Genetic Engineering News - Mar 23 Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have ident ified the genetic machinery responsible for synthesizing thiostrepton, a powerful antibiotic produced by certain bacteria. Though effective against the dangerous MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), it currently has only limited applications in humans because it is not water soluble. . . . “We are interested in making derivatives of this peptide drug that retain their potency and are efficiently processed by biochemical machinery,” said Wendy L. Kelly, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation's premiere research universities. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report's top 10 public universities, Georgia Tech educates more than 16,000 students every year through its Colleges of Architecture, Computing, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management and Sciences. Tech maintains a diverse campus and is among the nation's top producers of women and African-American engineers. The Institute offers research opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students and is home to more than 100 interdisciplinary units plus the Georgia Tech Research Institute. During the 2003-2004 academic year, Georgia Tech reached $341.9 million in new research award funding.