Projects Funding Period 1

Project area 1: Active compounds, substance optimisation, molecular probes for target identification and target validation

• Project 1a: Diversity-oriented one-pot synthesis of novel biheterocyclic agents against therapy-resistant tumours and infections (Thomas J.J. Müller)
• Project 1b: Chemoenzymatic synthesis of (natural) 6,-6'-binaphthopyran-2-ones (Jörg Pietruszka)
• Project 1c: Secondary metabolites of marine sponges and endophytes as active substances against resistant tumour cells and microorganisms (Peter Proksch)
• Project 1d: Modulators of sphingosine metabolism and medicinal chemical optimisation of natural substances (Holger Stark)

Project area 2: Microorganisms, resistance mechanisms, target finding, immune modulation

• Project 2a: Investigation of the antibacterial mechanism of action of the natural substances sceptrin and chloroflavonin in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Rainer Kalscheuer)
• Project 2b: Identification of new compounds with antimicrobial activity against Apicomplexa and multi-resistant Gram-negative rod bacteria (4MRGN) (Klaus Pfeffer)
• Project 2c: Identification of immunomodulatory properties of new natural products and their derivatives to optimise their effectiveness against chemoresistance in tumour cells and bacterial pathogens (Stefanie Scheu)

Project area 3: Tumours, resistance mechanisms, target finding

• Project 3a: DNA damage response (DDR) factors as target structures for the resensitisation of cytostatic- and radiation-resistant tumours by natural products and their derivatives (Gerhard Fritz)
• Project 3b: Identification of autophagy-modulating natural products and derivatives for the elimination of therapy resistant tumour cells (Björn Stork)
• Project 3c: Elimination of chemotherapeutically resistant tumours by means of natural substance-induced cell death (Sebastian Wesselborg)

• Project: Characterization of synergy and resistance traits of HSP90 and HDAC inhibitors in leukemic cell lines (Sanil Bhatia) - this project was not part of the first application

Project area 4: Molecular Modelling

• Project 4a: Nisin as a model system for overcoming lantibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens and molecular modelling to optimise anti-tumour and antimicrobial agents (Sander Smits / Holger Gohlke)