Dr. Jason K. Sello, Ph.D. from the Department of Chemistry at Brown University will present...

“Bridging Basic Science and Medicine via Studies of Bioactive Small Molecules”

Much high-impact research in the chemical and biological sciences, particularly that which underlies innovations in medicine, began with curiosity about the structures and mechanisms of bioactive small molecules. In search of potentially transformative discoveries, my research group is focused on molecules that are anomalous by virtue of their structures and the mechanisms by which they perturb biological systems. The seminar will describe how our recent studies of such molecules have stimulated the development of novel methods for chemical synthesis, revealed fresh insights into cellular processes like protein quality control and macromolecular trafficking, and inspired unconventional strategies for treating infectious diseases and other maladies.