β-lactams represent one of the most important classes of antibiotics discovered to date. These agents block Lipid II processing and cell wall biosynthesis through inactivation of Penicillin-Binding Proteins (PBPs). PBPs enzymatically load cell wall building blocks from Lipid II carrier molecules onto the growing cell wall scaffold during growth and division. Lipid II, a bottleneck in cell wall biosynthesis, is the target of some of the most potent antibiotics in clinical use. Despite the immense therapeutic value of this biosynthetic pathway, the PBP-Lipid II association has not been established in live cells. To determine this key interaction, we designed an unnatural d-amino acid dipeptide that is metabolically incorporated into Lipid II molecules. By hijacking the peptidoglycan biosynthetic machinery, photoaffinity probes were installed in combination with click partners within Lipid II, thereby allowing, for the first time, demonstration of PBP interactions in vivo with Lipid II.

Bacteria can either exist in the planktonic (free floating) state or in the biofilm (encased within an organic framework) state. Bacteria biofilms cause industrial concerns and medical complications and there has been a great deal of interest in the discovery of small molecule agents that can inhibit the formation of biofilms or disperse existing structures. Herein we show that, contrary to previously published reports, d-amino acids do not inhibit biofilm formation of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Staphylococcus epidermis (S. epidermis) at millimolar concentrations. We evaluated a diverse set of natural and unnatural d-amino acids and observed no activity from these compounds in inhibiting biofilm formation.

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Detailed investigation on the vibrational and electronic spectra has been carried out in order to study various properties of 2,2'-dipyridylketone molecule in its ground and excited electronic states. To get insight into the structural and symmetry features of the molecule, Raman excitation profiles of several normal modes have been analyzed. The polarized Raman spectra in different environments along with their IR counterpart have been critically surveyed and different normal modes have been assigned. The knowledge in regard to the positions of different excited electronic states has been acquired from the study of electronic absorption spectra. All the experimental observations have been substantiated and corroborated theoretically by the quantum chemical calculation. Possibility of exciton splitting of the 1La band has been explored both from theoretical and experimental points of view.

A gemini version of the amphiphile palmitoyl homocysteine was synthesized. Co-liposomes were prepared using the gemini along with a natural zwitterionic lipid, DOPE and cholesterol at specified ratios. This afforded pH-responsive co-liposomes which could efficiently transport the anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX), across the DOX-resistant HeLa cancer cells in response to low pH of cellular endosomes.