Dr. Athar Ata, the Chair of the Chemistry Department at Michigan Tech University, will present the discovery of novel bioactive compounds from natural sources and synthetic organic chemistry. Their structure-activity relationships will be discussed as well. Additionally, a recently developed chemo-enzymatic approach to producing natural products on a large scale will also be presented.
Deciphering Monoterpene Indole and Oxindole Alkaloids Biosynthesis In Mitragyna Species
Presented via Zoom by Dr. Satya Swathi Nadakuduti
Dr. Satya Swathi Nadakuduti is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida. Dr. Nadakuduti received her Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology from Michigan State University.
Her lab is interested in studying plants' specialized metabolism to understand the chemical diversity and identify compounds that have pharmaceutical value, and their potential for health benefits and applications in agriculture. Her research program integrates multi-disciplinary approaches such as biochemistry, genomics, gene discovery, and functional characterization to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of these compounds. Her group is also interested in targeted genome modifications using gene-editing technology such as CRISPR/Cas9 for agriculture crop improvement, as a functional genomics tool and to understand genome-wide off-target effects caused by gene-editing reagents. Her group is interested in micropropagation and implementing gene editing in medicinally relevant plant species.
Medicinal Asteraceae of North America: An Ethnopharmacological Approach
Presented by Dr. Cory Harris - University of Ottawa
Bio - Dr. Harris' research combines laboratory, field, and community-based approaches to study the roles of plants in human and ecological health. His research explores the ethnobotany, chemistry, and bioactivity of plants with a current emphasis on native Canadian species used for food and medicine. Together with Inuit and First Nations communities as well as the private and public sectors, some of the ongoing projects include: health benefits (and risks) of wild plant foods, the antidiabetic and neuroprotective potential of berries, the chemical ecology of coneflower alkylamides, and the ethical and evidence-based use of alternative medicines by mainstream healthcare providers.
