April 1, 2008
This work is published in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters (2008), 18(3), 1006-1010.
ScienceDirect
Biofilms are highly hydrated structures comprised of a polysaccharide matrix secreted by the bound bacteria that strongly adhere to essentially all kinds of surfaces. Biofilms incur severe detrimental effects in a wide spectrum of settings ranging from health issues (dental decay, infectious diseases) to corrosion problems in industry. A class of natural compounds, brominated furanones, inhibits the formation of these biofilms. Dr. Luk and Ren recently designed an efficient one-step synthesis that makes a new series of non-natural brominated furanones that are more effective than its natural counterparts at inhibiting the formation of biofilms. The systematic variation in the structure of this new series of brominated furanones has help identify the most important structural moiety responsible for inhibition activities. Because the efficient one-step synthesis making the compounds highly assessable, these molecules are ideal for applications of disinfection and decontamination, and has been sought after by colleagues in this area.
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