James Frederich

FSU researchers look to natural products to shed light on protein interactions in cancer, neurological diseases

A fungus that attacks almond and peach trees may be key to identifying new drug targets for cancer therapy. A team of Florida State University researchers from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry found that a natural product from the fungus Fusicoccum amygdali stabilizes a family of proteins in the cell that mediate important signaling […]

Breakthrough synthesis strategy could mean wave of new medicinal compounds

In pharmacology, not all molecular structures are created equal. Some frameworks are overrepresented in nature, making them especially attractive to scientists on the hunt for more effective drugs. One such structure, known to scientists as the carbocyclic 5-8-5 fused ring system, is notoriously difficult to produce using conventional laboratory methods, and researchers have therefore been […]

FSU researchers receive $1.43M grant to study medical applications of synthetic chemistry

Florida State University scientists have been awarded a $1.43 million grant to support their work using synthetic chemistry to push the boundaries of biomedical research. The funds, awarded by the National Institutes of Health, will aid researchers as they explore the potential of fully synthetic natural products to tweak critical interactions between protein molecules — […]