Title of Project: Adventures in Carbohydrate-Based Drug Discovery
Type: Research
Guide: Dr. Shannon Timmons

Compounds derived from living organisms, called natural products, have long served as an important source of inspiration in the quest to discover new therapeutic agents. Carbohydrates are integral constituents of many natural products and are particularly useful in the development of novel anti-cancer and anti-bacterial drugs. Warfarin, a commonly used anti-coagulant, is an interesting drug that was discovered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Recent research has shown that great therapeutic benefit is derived from adding a carbohydrate group to warfarin. In this Quest project, Ashley Croft and Joshua Wells will focus on expanding this synthetic research and testing new warfarin analogs for anti-cancer and anti-viral activity. Ashley will learn practical laboratory skills such as how to set up a synthetic reaction, characterize products, develop bioassays, and write scientific publications.