Research Support

Receptor recognition mechanisms of coronaviruses
6/1/10 – 5/31/15
R01 AI089728                NIH/NIAID
Role: Co-Investigator (Principal Investigator: Dr. Fang Li)
This proposal sought to characterize the interactions between group I and group II coronavirus envelope glycoproteins and their cell surface receptors.

Identification of Inhibitors of HCMV UL89 Terminase and HCMV Replication
7/1/12 – 6/30/14
Center For Drug Design 
Research Development and Seed Grant
Role: Principal Investigator; Co-investigator: Z. Wang, PhD
This seed grant supported the production of pUL89, development of assays to measure pUL89 endonuclease activity, and identification of inhibitors of pUL89 endonuclease activity and HCMV replication in cultured cells.

Membrane fusion during HSV-1 entry.
5/15/09 – 5/14/12
R03 AI078079                NIH/NIAID
Role:  Principal Investigator
This proposal details experiments to analyze HSV-1 membrane fusion and hemifusion occurring during receptor-mediated endocytosis.

Name of the project: Guanabenz as a disease modifying therapeutic for Parkinson’s Disease: in vivo efficacy and chemical optimization
Duration: 01/01/2015 - 12/31/2015
Funding Agency: Winston and Maxine Wallin Neuroscience Discovery Fund
Principal Investigator(s): PI: Michael Lee, PhD; Co-PI: Swati More, PhD

Harnessing microbes from the Soudan Mine: Bioremediation, Biocontrol and Bioenergy
Duration: 07/2013 - 06/2016
Funding Agency: Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR)
Investigator(s): Christine Salomon, PhD (PI), Jeff Gralnick, PhD (Co-I); Brandy Toner, PhD (Co-I); Robert Blanchette, PhD (Co-I), Daniel Bond, PhD (Co-I)

Evaluation and development of colomitide C as a therapeutic for breast cancer
Duration: 06/2012-06/2015
Funding Agency: Center for Drug Design, UMN
Investigator(s):  Christine Salomon, PhD (PI)

Interspecies Signaling Interactions and Pathogen Suppression Among Soilborne Streptomyces
Duration: 03/2011 - 02/2015
Funding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Investigator(s): Christine Salomon, PhD (PI); Linda L. Kinkel, PhD (Co-PI)

Development of a new biofilm bioreactor system
Duration: 08/2013-06/2014
Funding Agency: Ecolabs (contract)
Investigator(s):  Christine Salomon, PhD (PI)

Elucidation of Chemical Signaling Among Antibiotic Producing Bacteria
Duration: 09/2012 - 08/2014
Funding Agency: BTI research grant, UMN
Principal Investigator: Christine Salomon, PhD

Understanding the Hidden Language of Antibiotic Production
Duration: 07/2012 - 06/2013
Funding Agency: OVPR Grant in Aid, UMN
Principal Investigator: Christine Salomon, PhD

Novel Natural Product Modulators of Zebrafish Limb Regeneration
Duration: 01/2012 - 12/2013
Funding Agency: AHC Cancer Center Seed Grant, UMN
Investigator(s): Anindya Bagchi, PhD (PI); Christine Salomon, PhD (Co-PI); Yasuhiko Kawakami, PhD (Co-PI)

Identification of Natural Product Apoptosis Inhibitors
Duration: 07/2011-12/2013 (contract)
Funding Agency:  National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
Investigator(s): Christine Salomon, PhD (Co-PI)

Extreme Microbes of Minnesota - Geomicrobiology in the Soudan Iron Mine
Duration: 07/2010 - 06/2013
Funding Agency: Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR)
Investigator(s): Jeff Gralnick, PhD (PI); Christine Salomon, PhD (Co-PI)

A Novel Synergistic Approach for the Treatment of Medical Biofilms
Duration: 07/2010 - 07/2011
Funding Agency: AHC Seed Grant, UMN
Principal Investigator: Christine Salomon, PhD

A Novel Zebrafish Screen for Discovery of Natural Compounds that Enhance Limb Regeneration
Duration: 07/2010 - 07/2011
Funding Agency: AHC Seed Grant, UMN
Investigator(s): Anindya Bagchi, PhD (PI); Christine Salomon, PhD (Co-PI); Yasuhiko Kawakami, PhD (Co-PI)

Biorational Development of Plant Disease Biocontrol
Duration: 01/2009 - 06/2010
Funding Agency: University of Minnesota (Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute)
Principal Investigator(s): Christine Salomon, PhD; Linda L. Kinkel, PhD

Fragment Based Library Synthesis toward Small Molecule Inhibitors of Tdp2 and HBV Capsid
Research Development and Seed Grant,
Center for Drug Design, University of Minnesota
PI: Zhengqiang Wang, PhD
 07/01/2014—06/30/2016
The goal of this grant is to curate and synthesize libraries of fragments and combined fragments for Tdp2 inhibitor discovery and extend a similar approach to identifying small molecular inhibitors of HBV capsid

Structure-Based Discovery of Tyrosyl DNA Phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2) Inhibitors
Faculty Research Development Grant, Academic Health Center, University of Minnesota  
Co-PIs: H. Aihara, PhD; Zhengqiang Wang, PhD
07/01/2014—06/30/2016
Direct cost: $100,000 / year
The goal of this grant is to identify inhibitor types and elucidate the mechanism of inhibition of TDP2 through a structure-based approach.

Novel Nucleoside Scaffolds for Antiviral Discovery
Research Development and Seed Grant, Center for Drug Design, University of Minnesota
07/01/2012—06/30/2014                                
The goal of this grant is to generate novel nucleoside scaffolds through chemical manipulations of existing nucleoside antivirals to add to the diversity of nucleoside analogues and provide new opportunities for antiviral design.

FadD Inhibitors as Chemotherapeutic Agents for Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis
Duration: 10/01/2009–9/30/2011
Funding Source: GLRCE (Greater Lakes Regional Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases)
Type of Grant: Development Project-5
Principal Investigator: Courtney Aldrich, PhD
Total Direct Costs: $250,000

New Drugs for Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infections
Duration: 11/01/2008–8/31/2010
Funding Agency: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation & Wellcome Trust
Principal Investigator: Douglas B. Young, PhD
Subcontracted to: Courtney Aldrich, PhD
Total direct costs for the Aldrich lab were: $272,000

Thioesterase Inhibitors of Mycolic Acid Biosynthesis as Antitubercular Agents
Grant Number: R21 A1072136-02
Duration: 8/1/2007–7/31/2009
Funding Agency: NIH/NIAID
Principal Investigator: Courtney Aldrich, PhD
Total direct costs were: $275,000

Design of Antituberculosis Agents that Target Siderophore Biosynthesis
Grant Number: R01 AI070219
Duration: 7/01/2006–7/01/2009
Funding Agency: NIH/NIAID
Principal Investigator: Courtney Aldrich, PhD
Total direct costs: $600,000

Novel Selective Inhibitors of IMPDH Type II Against CML
Grant Number: DoD CM043020
Year of Completion: 2004
Funding Agency: Department of Defense
Principal Investigator: Krzysztof W. Pankiewicz