Research Summary
Research in the Bicker Lab seeks to address difficult biological problems with fundamental bioorganic methods. Current research is focused on the development of peptoid-based combinatorial libraries. Screening of these libraries is currently done to identify novel antibiotics against dangerous fungi, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and biofilms. Students in the lab develop a diverse set of skills, including solution and solid-phase organic synthesis, assay development, antimicrobial characterization, and mammalian cell culture. See the video and descriptions below to learn more about what's going on in the Bicker Lab.
The Peptoid Library Agar Diffusion (PLAD) Assay:
A High-Throughput Method to Identify Antimicrobial Peptoids
A myriad of infectious bacteria and fungi, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, develop incredibly drug resistant strains due to the long-term use of antibiotics within the clinic. Although small molecule natural products have proven themselves as useful in the past, it is now becoming clear that some multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of pathogens already possess resistance to many of these compounds. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are naturally occurring peptides utilized by most organisms as an immune defense mechanism. Some of these AMPs have shown excellent efficacy against MDR strains bacteria and fungi, however, peptides are poor drugs since they are readily broken down in the body.
Given the excellent stability of peptoids, the Bicker Lab aims to identify antimicrobial peptoids to treat pathogenic strains of bacteria and fungi. To this end, we have developed a high-throughput method of screening combinatorial peptoid libraries against nearly any microorganism that can grow in a Petri dish. This assay is termed the Peptoid Library Agar Diffusion (PLAD) assay and has been used recently to identify a peptoid with excellent potency against Cryptococcus neoformans, minimal toxicity to mammalian cells, and excellent proteolytic stability. We've gone on to complete an iterative structure activity relationship study to improve this lead peptoid and characterize the therapeutic potential of this compound. At our heart, the Bicker Lab is a medicinal chemistry lab focused on rapidly identifying and developing lead peptoid compounds.
Given the excellent stability of peptoids, the Bicker Lab aims to identify antimicrobial peptoids to treat pathogenic strains of bacteria and fungi. To this end, we have developed a high-throughput method of screening combinatorial peptoid libraries against nearly any microorganism that can grow in a Petri dish. This assay is termed the Peptoid Library Agar Diffusion (PLAD) assay and has been used recently to identify a peptoid with excellent potency against Cryptococcus neoformans, minimal toxicity to mammalian cells, and excellent proteolytic stability. We've gone on to complete an iterative structure activity relationship study to improve this lead peptoid and characterize the therapeutic potential of this compound. At our heart, the Bicker Lab is a medicinal chemistry lab focused on rapidly identifying and developing lead peptoid compounds.