COBRE for Translational Chemical Biology

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT - OVERALL The primary goals of the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) for Translational Chemical Biology (CTCB) are to support junior faculty recruitment and mentorship, mission-critical research cores, and growth of an innovative interdisciplinary research enterprise in translational chemical biology. The center’s theme intersects chemical biology, molecular pharmacology, and pharmaceutical science. CTCB is unique to, and synergistic with, the University of Kentucky’s biomedical research enterprise that offers a wealth of innovative models and potential new drug targets linked to Appalachian Kentucky health disparities. Within this context, the center provides a new unifying framework for faculty to create, leverage, and advance novel chemical probes for the study of diverse disease-relevant biology. CTCB’s framework and thematic focus cuts through traditional boundaries and enables the engagement of diverse scientific expertise, perspectives and approaches in research project development and implementation. The center’s mentorship and research cores emphasize stringent criteria in chemical probe development and serve as a fundamental cornerstone for advancing new drug leads. CTCB will support and mentor three outstanding junior faculty Research Project Leaders (RPLs) in early Phase 2, all with research programs that intersect the gut-microbiome-disease axis. The center will also implement a comprehensive Pipeline Program that encompasses new junior faculty recruitment, a pilot project program, and a voucher fund, the combined goal of which is to expand CTCB research core use and enable growth of a critical mass of translational chemical biology researchers at the University of Kentucky. In addition, the center will further develop and leverage two independent research support cores that operate as an integrated unit to strategically support probe and project development. As UK’s only assay development and screening core, the CTCB Bio Core will support enabling virtual and wet-bench screening. The complementary CTCB Chem Core, UK’s only synthetic chemistry core, will provide computational ligand design, medicinal chemistry and probe-based target identification. As additional core infrastructure, CTCB will also further develop and leverage its exclusive Natural Products Repository that includes >625 pure microbial natural products, >54% of which are found only in the CTCB collection. The center will also implement rigorous tracking and evaluation to ensure efficient progress and rapid response for all components.