Enhancement of Antibiotics and Nucleic Acids by Novel Synthetic Compounds
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Science
Major
Biochemistry & Biotechnology
Date of Defense
4-25-2013
Graduate Advisor
George Gokel, Ph.D.
Committee
Dr. Wendy Olivas
Dr. Mark Spingola
Abstract
With the emergence of resistant microorganisms and the identification of new genetic disorders, new treatments are needed to combat disease and to aid in the repair of the cell at the molecular level. The effort to develop synthetic ion channels and synthetic ion transporters has been an attempt to model function and/or to supplement biologically active proteins and to develop biologically active agents. The work presented in the first part of this thesis focuses on the history, development, and antimicrobial activity of synthetic ion channels and the synergy observed with commercially available antibiotics. The second part of this thesis describes numerous successful bacterial transformation experiments conducted with plasmid DNA and novel synthetic compounds that we call tris-arenes. We have observed experimentally that the transport of plasmid DNA through biological membranes. Numerous transformation experiments led us to conclude that tris-arenes have the ability to enhance DNA plasmid transformations in E.coli.
Recommended Citation
Atkins, Jason Lee, "Enhancement of Antibiotics and Nucleic Acids by Novel Synthetic Compounds" (2013). Theses. 3.
https://irl.umsl.edu/thesis/3