IQAC seminar on 20th March 2019 at 9:30 am

Announcement for IQAC seminar taking place this Wednesday 20th March at CID-Sala d'Actes room at 9:30 am

Speaker: Anderson Ramos, PhD student
Title: Biological activity of cationic rhamnolipids functionalized with amino acids
Group: Biocompatible surfactants and ionic liquids group
Date: 20th March 2019
Time: 9:30 am
Location: “CID-Sala d'Actes” room
                Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC)
                C. Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona

 

Abstract:

The rapid increase of multiple drug resistant bacteria and fungi poses a serious threat to society. Therefore, there is an urgent need to design new antimicrobial compounds that impede the development of acquired resistance. One possible strategy is the preparation of new antimicrobial and antifungal compounds with novel modes of action and different targets.
Biosurfactants are surface active molecules that are produced by a variety of different microorganisms. Rhamnolipids produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are a mixture of mono-rhamnolipids and di-rhamnolipids. Mono-rhamnolipids and di-rhamnolipids consist of one or two molecules of rhamnose functionalized with one or two hydroxy fatty acids of different length. Rhamnolipids have the two main properties of surfactants, that is, strong surface activity and self-assembly in water.
With the aim of obtaining new antimicrobial compounds, we have synthesized new molecules that structurally consist of one molecule of rhamnolipid linked to one arginine or lysine. A simple procedure was used to obtain the new molecules. The new molecules were prepared by linking the α-NH2 of the methylated arginine or lysine to the carboxyl terminus of the rhamnolipids. The introduction of the amino acids gives cationic character to the new rhamnolipid derivatives. These compounds were assayed to ascertain their antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-acanthamoeba activity.

 

 Poster

 

 

Date: 
Tuesday, 19 March 2019