GW Department of Chemistry's Annual Caress Lecture Presents Dr. Holden Thorp of AAAS
Developing new anti-fungal drugs that bind to cytochrome P450 and a few lessons for the frontier of Science
The azole anti-fungal drugs bind to lanosterol demethylase, which is a cytochrome P450, via a 1,2,4-triazole. This group is common in metal binding drugs, which have a generally low diversity of modalities that include sulfonamide, carboxylate, and hydroxamic acid. Analysis of drug-metal binding suggests that greater safety profiles could be achieved by tuning the metal binding affinity, generally making the ligands weaker binders. The new antifungal drug oteseconazole utilizes a tetrazole group that allows for greater selectivity and safety. The measurements underlying the pathway to this new drug will be described. At the end of the talk will be some reflections on the last two years of the pandemic as viewed from the helm of the Science family of journals.
BIO
Holden Thorp became Editor-in-Chief of the Science family of journals on 28 October 2019. He came to Science from Washington University, where he was provost from 2013 to 2019 and where he is Rita Levi-Montalcini Distinguished University Professor and holds appointments in both chemistry and medicine. Thorp joined Washington University after spending three decades at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where he served as the 10th chancellor from 2008 through 2013. A North Carolina native, Thorp started at UNC as an undergraduate student and earned a bachelor of science degree in chemistry in 1986. He earned a doctorate in chemistry in 1989 at the California Institute of Technology, working with Harry B. Gray on inorganic photochemistry. He completed postdoctoral work at Yale University with Gary W. Brudvig, working on model compounds and reactions for the manganese cluster in the photosynthetic reaction center. He holds an honorary doctor of laws degree from North Carolina Wesleyan College and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Inventors, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The Caress lecture series was established by Drs. Ed and Virginia Caress and is designed to feature leaders in their fields who have made substantive contributions to any area of chemistry as determined by a committee of the faculty.
Reception will follow.
Please note that this is an in-person and online special presentation on Thursday, November 18 at 3:00 pm.
Non GW attendees, please follow GW Covid 19 protocol. If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected].