2024-2025 Faculty Research Grant

Desmond Murray (Chemistry). 

Developing Synthetic Methodology for Small Molecule Covalent Acylurea Inhibitors.

This is part of our ongoing research program involving the development of novel small hybrid molecules with potential bioactivities and biomedical applications. Our approach and work have included synthetic optimization and application studies of a-haloacylals, azooximes, imides, amides, and acylureas as, for example, potential bioactive small hybrid molecules against bacteria, fungi, insects, glioblastoma, and inositol regulation in bipolar disorder. In keeping with our research program, the purpose of this specific project is the systematic design and development of novel small molecule covalent acylurea inhibitors targeting RNA-binding proteins.

This specific research project comes out of an ongoing collaboration with Assistant Professor Brittany S. Morgan in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana. Currently, we have close to 40 Andrews University students in our Spring 2024 semester engaged in multiple optimization subprojects as part of our collaboration.

Our research program and this project features the following key elements: (a) collaborations with colleagues from biology and clinical laboratory science, on and off campus, (b) participation of high school and college students during the normal academic year and in the summer, and (c) incorporation into our Spring semester organic chemistry laboratory as a course-embedded undergraduate research experience (CURE).