Beata Liberek

Research projects

• Search for GlcN-6P synthase inhibitors with antifungal properties

GlcN-6P synthase inhibitors with potential antifungal properties GlcN-6P synthase is one of the molecular targets in research on compounds with antifungal properties. In cooperation with the team of prof. Sławomir Milewski from the Department of Drug Technology and Biochemistry of the Faculty of Chemistry of the Gdańsk University of Technology, we have started work on inhibitors of this enzyme. We synthesized N-alkyl derivatives of 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucitol-6-phosphate (ADGP, figure), which showed relatively high antifungal activity. We are planning further work to search for GlcN-6P synthase inhibitors. N-Alkyl derivatives of ADGP were the subject of research in three master's theses and a PhD dissertation by Dr. Anna Melcer, completed in 2007.

• Sugar amino acids and their polymers

Sugar amino acids, in the literature marked as SAAs, are derivatives of saccharides that have an amino and carboxyl group attached to the sugar ring. Compounds of this type are in the center of interest of researchers due to their applications as glycomimetics, peptidomimetics, isosteres, platforms with pharmacological recognition points and foldamers. We developed a method for the synthesis of a new type of SAAs (Figure), which we examined in terms of their conformation. A conformationally stable stereoisomer with the D-arabino configuration has a geometry that should force a β-turn in the peptide chain. Therefore, it was handed over to the team of prof. Franciszek Kasprzykowski from our department in order to incorporate it as an isostere into a peptidomimetic. Work is underway to synthesize short chains made of SAAs and to study their conformation. This type of foldamers can be used for structural and biological studies of proteins. We conduct conformation studies based on NMR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.

• Conformation studies of the furanose ring

Structural studies of sugars, based on NMR spectroscopy, X-ray structural analysis and methods of theoretical chemistry.

The conformations of the furanose ring, which is common in biological systems, are difficult to analyze because of its high lability. We plan to synthesize various compounds containing a furanose ring in order to study their conformation. The research will be based on NMR spectroscopy, X-ray structural analysis and theoretical calculations.