Mark Lipton

Title:

Associate Professor

PhD Granting Institution:

Purdue University

Contact:

Email Address: lipton@purdue.edu
Office Phone: 765-494-0132
Lab Website Link: https://www.chem.purdue.edu/lipton/

Primary Training Group:

Chemical Biology

Secondary Training Groups:

Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Research Areas:

Organic synthesis Peptide synthesis, Structure-based drug design

Current Projects:

We have developed a new class of HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors for use as novel antimicrobial agents targeting drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Our agents have proved to be effective at eliminating Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus in culture and in several model organisms. We are currently engaged in making more drug-like HMGR inhibitors. We have also recently made first-in-class, dual Inhibitors of HIV-1 Protease and Histone Deacetylase 3 and shown that they can effectively reverse latency of latently infected human T cells. We are now making more active analogues before beginning animal studies.

Importance of Interdisciplinary Research:

Our research focus combines molecular modeling, organic synthesis and enzymatic inhibitions assays. We collaborate with X-ray cystallographers, bacteriologists and virologists in our research.