Christine Salomon, PhD

Research Summary 

Our research program is dedicated to the discovery, development, and application of specialized metabolites from nature. By exploring the chemical diversity of environmental bacteria, fungi, and plants, we seek to uncover novel molecular structures and understand their biological functions. These natural products provide a rich source of inspiration for new therapeutics and chemical tools, particularly for addressing the growing challenge of infectious diseases in agriculture, wildlife, and human systems.

A central focus of our work is the exploration of understudied environments that harbor unique microbial communities. We isolate and characterize bacteria and fungi from diverse ecosystems, with particular emphasis on subterranean habitats such as caves and mines, where evolutionary pressures have given rise to distinctive chemistry. By integrating natural products chemistry, microbiology, and chemical biology, we aim to discover new metabolites and translate them into applications that advance the treatment and understanding of infectious diseases.

Some of the current projects in the lab include the discovery of novel anti-parastic compounds for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis, the study of biocontrol bacterial communities that suppress corn pathogens, the development of fungal biocontrols for the treatment of white nose syndrome in bats, and the elucidation of molecules produced by fungi that inhibit soybean cyst nematodes. 

• Kolas, A., Rusman, Y., Maia, A. C. R. G., Williams, J. M., Xie, J., Katekar, R., Fumuso, F. G., Cotto-Rosario, A., Onoh, C. N., Baggar, H., Piaskowski, M. L., Baigorria, C., Paes, R., Chakrabarti, D., Weible, L. J., Ojo, K. K., O’Connor, R. M., & Salomon, C. E. Norditerpene Natural Products from Subterranean Fungi with Anti-Parasitic Activity. Microorganisms, 2025, 13(11), 2527.
• Belofsky G, Hansen N, Heer C, Spiegel P, Salomon C. Antimicrobial flavanones and other metabolites of Dalea albiflora. Phytochemistry Letters. 2025/10; 69:103018
• Fumoso F, Salomon CE, O’Connor R, A new method to replace oral gavage for the study of Cryptosporidium  infection in mice. Laboratory Animals. 2025 Oct;59(5):593-598.   
• Belofsky G, Cruz C, Schultz T, Zapata M, Wilcox D, Wasmund B, Salomon C, Spiegel P. Antimicrobial isoflavans and other metabolites of Dalea nana. Phytochemistry. 2024 October; 226:114224. 
• Caro-Diaz E, Balunas M, Giddings L, Loesgen S, Murphy B, Naman C, Salomon C, Tidgewell K, Winter J. Outlining the Hidden Curriculum: Perspectives on Successfully Navigating Scientific Conferences. Journal of Natural Products. 2024 May; 87(5):1487-1492. 
• Belofsky, G, Ahn, H, Zapata, M, Wilcox, D, Salomon, CE, Spiegel, PC. Antimicrobial Isoflavans and Other Metabolites of Dalea jamesii (Fabaceae). Planta Medica, 2023, Jun;89(7):754-763. 
• Hegde, P, Boshoff, HI, Rusman,Y,  Aragaw, WW, Dick, T, Salomon, CE, Aldrich, CC. Reinvestigation of the structure-activity relationships of Isoniazid. Tuberculosis, 2021,129.
• Chittepu, P, Yang, J, Benoit, B, Salomon, CE,  Ji, Y, Ferguson, DM.  Synthesis and Evaluation of Acridone and Xanthone Epoxides with Anti-MRSA and Anti-MSSA Activity. bioRxiv 2021.12.10.472175.
• Cavanah, P, Itou, J; Rusman, Y; Tahara, N; Williams, J ; Salomon ,C; Kawakami, Y.  A nontoxic fungal natural product modulates fin regeneration in zebrafish larvae through FGF-WNT developmental signaling. Developmental Dynamics, 2020, 250 (2): 160-174. (Journal Cover).
• Song, X, Gaascht, F, Schmidt-Dannert, C, Salomon, CE. Discovery of antifungal and biofilm preventative compounds from mycelial cultures of a unique North American Hericium sp. fungus. Molecules, 2020.
• Held, BW, Salomon, CE, Blanchette, RA. Fungal diversity in an underground iron ore mine. PLoSONE, 2020, 15(6): e0234208.
• Rusman, Y, Wilson, MB; Williams, J, Held, BW, Blanchette, RA, Anderson, B, Lupfer, C, Salomon, CE. Antifungal norditerpene oidiolactones from the fungus Oidiodendron truncatum, a potential bio-control agent for white-nose syndrome in bats. Journal of Natural Products. 2020, 83, 344-353.
• Rusman, Y, Held, BW, Blanchette, RA, Salomon, CE. Cadopherone and colomitide polyketides from Cadophora wood-rot fungi associated with historic expedition huts in Antarctica.  Phytochemistry, 2018, 148, 1-10.
• Wilson MB, Held BW, Freiborg AH, Blanchette RA, Salomon CE. Resource capture and competitive ability of non-pathogenic Pseudogymnoascus spp. and P. destructans, the cause of white-nose syndrome in bats. PLoSONE, 2017, 12(6): e0178968.
• Badalamenti, JP, Erickson, JD, Salomon, CE. Complete genome of Streptomyces albus SM254, a potent antagonist of the White Nose Bat Syndrome pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Genome Announcements, 2016 4(2):e00290-16.
• Afsar, T, Trembley, JH, Salomon, CE, Razak, S, Khan, MR, Ahmed, K. Growth inhibition and apoptosis in prostate and breast cancer cells induced by polyphenolic compounds of Acacia hydaspica R. Parker: Involvement of multiple signal transduction pathways. Scientific Reports-Nature, 2016, Mar 15;6:23077.
• Rusman, Y, Held, B, Blanchette, RA, Wittlin, S, Salomon, CE. Soudanones A-H: Antifungal isochromanones from a Cadophora sp. fungus isolated from the Soudan Iron Mine. Journal of Natural Products. 2015, 78 (6), 1456–1460.

• Benoit, AR, Schiaffo, C, Yang, J, Salomon, CE, Ji, Y, Goodell, Ferguson, DM.  Synthesis and evaluation of N-alkyl-9-aminoacridines with antibacterial activity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 2014, 24, 3014-3017.

• Hassig, CA, Zeng, FY, Kung, P, Kiankarimi, M, Kim, S, Diaz, PW, Zhai, D, Welsh, K, Morshedian,S, Su, Y, O’Keefe, B, Newman, DJ, Rusman, Y, Kaur, H, Salomon, CE, Brown, SG, Baire,B, Michel, AR, Thomas R. Hoye, TR, Francis, S, Georg, GI, Walters, MA, Divlianska, DB, Roth,GP, Amy E. Wright, AE, Reed, JC. Ultra High Throughput Screening of Natural Product Extracts to Identify Pro-apoptotic Inhibitors of Bcl-2 Family Proteins. Journal of Biomolecular Screening, 2014, 19, 1201-1211.

• Temburnikar, KW; Zimmermann, S; Kim, NT; Ross, CR; Gelbmann, C; Salomon, CE; Wilson, GM; Balzarini, J and Seley-Radtke, KL. Antiproliferative activities of halogenated thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidines. Biorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 2014, 22, 2113-2122.

• Vaz, P, Bakker, M, Salomon, CE, Kinkel, LL. Subinhibitory antibiotic concentrations alter nutrient utilization and niche overlap among Streptomyces spp. Plos One. 2013, 8, e81064.

• Rusman, Y, Oppegard, L, Hiasa, H, Gelbmann, C and Salomon, CE. Solphenazines A-F: Glycosylated phenazines from Streptomyces species DL-93.  Journal of Natural Products. 2013, 76, 91-96.

• Otto-Hanson, LK, Grabau, Z, Rosen, C, Salomon, CE, and Kinkel, LL. Pathogen variation and urea influence selection and success of Streptomyces mixtures in biocontrol. Phytopathology, 2013, 103, 34-42.

• Nelson, KM, Salomon, CE, Aldrich, CA. Total synthesis and biological evaluation of the structure of (+)-transvalencin Z.  Journal of Natural Products. 2012, 75, 1037-1043.

• Salomon, CE and Schmidt, L. Natural products as leads for tuberculosis drug development. Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 2012, 12, 735-765.

• Wang, Z., Tang, J., Salomon, C., Dreis, C.,Vince, R. Dual inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase and integrase: Structure-activity-relationship studies on integrase inhibition. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry 2010, 18, 4202-4211.

• Misiek, M.; Williams, J.; Schmich, K.; Huttel, W.; Merfort, I.; Salomon, C.E.; Aldrich, C.C.; Hoffmeister, D. Structure and cytotoxicity of arnamial and related fungal sesquiterpene aryl esters.  Journal of Natural Products, 2009, 72, 1888-1891.

• Lee, P.C; Salomon, C.E.; Mijts, B. and Schmidt-Dannert, C. Biosynthesis of ubiquinone compounds with conjugated prenyl side chains.  Applied and Environmental Microbiology  2008, 74: 6908-6917.

• Wang, Z.; Bennett, E.M., Wilson, D.J.; Salomon, C.E.; Vince, R.  Rationally designed dual inhibitiors of HIV reverse transcriptase and integrase. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry  2007, 50, 3416-3419.

• Kristich, C.; Salomon, C.E.; Dunny, G. Gene transfer in gram positive bacteria. in Methods for General and Molecular Bacteriology, R. Gerhardt, Ed., American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C., USA.  2007.

• Venkatraman, L; Salomon, C.E.; Sherman, D.H.; Fecik, R. Total synthesis of narbonolide and biotransformation to pikromycin: Effect of protecting groups on the intramolecular Nozaki–Hiyama–Kishi coupling of 14-membered macrolides.  J. Org. Chem. 2006, 71, 9853-9856.

• Salomon, C.E.; Magarvey, N.A.; Sherman, D.H.  Merging the potential of microbial genetics with marine biological and chemical diversity: An even brighter future for marine natural product drug discovery.  Natural Product Reports,  2004, 21, 105-121.

• Salomon CE, Faulkner DJ. Localization studies of bioactive cyclic peptides in the ascidian Lissoclinum patella.  Journal of Natural Products. 2002, 65, 689-692.

• Salomon CE, Williams DH, Lobkovsky E, Clardy JC, Faulkner DJ. Relative and absolute stereochemistry of the didemnaketals, metabolites of a Palauan ascidian, Didemnum sp. Organic Letters. 2002, 4, 1699-1702.

• Salomon CE, Deerinck T, Ellisman M, Faulkner DJ. The cellular localization of the pyridoacridine dercitamide in the Palauan sponge Oceanapia sagittaria. Marine Biology 2001, 139, 313-319. 

Active Grants

Characterizing potent phytopathogen inhibitors from microbial community derived from corn rhizosphere

Duration: 05/01/25-04/30/28
Funding Source: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Role: Co-PI
Major Goals: This project is a continuation of the seed grant funded by the MN Corn Research Council, focused on identifying natural products produced by corn-root associated bacteria that inhibit fungal pathogens.
 

Developing biocontrol against corn pathogens
Duration: 04/01/24-03/30/26
Funding Source: MN Corn Research Council (MNCRC)
Role: Co-PI
Total Award Amount: $80,000
Major Goals: This project is focused on identifying bioactive secondary metabolites with in vivo inhibition of oomycete corn pathogens by a consortium of bacteria associated with the corn rhizosphere.
 

Recently Completed Grants

Chronic wasting disease prion soil research

Duration: 10/2023-06/2025
Funding Source: Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Legislative Citizens Commission for Minnesota Resources, State of Minnesota (LCCMR)
Role: Co-I (Co-I Mikael Elias and Jason Bartz)
Major Goals: This seed grant involves making natural product extract and fraction libraries and testing them against chronic wasting disease prions bound to substrates.
 

Antiparasitic metabolites from deep subterranean fungi for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis, an AIDS defining disease

Duration: 03/2023-02/2025
Funding Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH NIAID)
Role: Co-PI (Co-PI Roberta O’Connor)
Major Goals: This project is focused on the discovery and development of natural product diterpenes isolated from fungi to inhibit Cryptosporidium parvum and Toxoplasma gondii 

White nose bat syndrome biological control: Phase 3

Duration: 07/2021-06/2024
Funding Source: Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Legislative Citizens Commission for Minnesota Resources, State of Minnesota (LCCMR)
Role: PI
Major Goals: This project is a continuation of the previous work focused on identifying the chemical components of antifungal strains collected from subterranean environment
 

Patents

1. Erickson, Josh and Salomon, Christine E. US Patent US20160280772 A1 Polypeptides, Cells, And Methods For Biofilm Therapy And Detection, published September 29, 2016. A bacterial therapeutic for precise targeting, disruption and killing of biofilm pathogens.  
2. Erickson, Josh and Salomon, Christine E. Biofilm Growth Devices And Methods. Filed August 9, 2016, application US 20180223239/ PCT/US2016/046110.  Biofilm growth devices and methods.  A multichannel bioreactor for efficient growth of microbial biofilms on various substrates (coupons) under flow conditions. 
3. Salomon, CE, Kawakami, Bagchi, A., Rusman, Y, Blanchette, B., Held, B and Spike, A.,  inventors.  Therapeutic Compounds, Regents of the University of Minnesota. S/N 61/675,232. 2012, July 24 
4. Haygood M, Salomon C.E., Faulkner J.D., inventors; Ecteinascidin family compounds: compositions and methods. International Patent EP1360337. 2003  Nov 12.