Employing institution: University of Dschang, Cameroon
Host institution: University of Rennes 1, France
Project title: Antibacterial-based molecular networking and biotransformation studies to target active new compounds from the fruits of Picralima nitida
Dr Florence Déclaire Mabou is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, at the University of Dschang, Cameroon. Florence is challenged by research that discovers new bioactive and lead compounds from Cameroonian medicinal plants. She is inspired by Prof. Naman and collaborator (2017), in his research using new metabolomics platforms and software. Her research interests are on investigating compounds of plant origin for their antibacterial and radical scavenging properties.
AREF Fellowship:
Dr Mabou’s research will discover new antibiotic resistant bacterial compounds from plants and their biotransformation. She aims to improve their bioactivity and/or reduce their toxicity, by maximizing the isolation of potentially new antibacterial compounds using the LC-MS/MS-based Molecular Networks algorithm. This new technique is very effective in the targeted isolation of bioactive molecules. Bioactive molecules from this project could serve as lead compounds for new antimicrobial agents.
Florence’s will complete her fellowship at the “Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes”, University of Rennes 1, France. The Institute is a well-known research group which investigates drug discovery and potential biotransformed derivatives from natural compounds that will achieve public health promotion and disease prevention. After her placement and upon her return to Cameroon, her home institution will provide an excellent research environment and facilities that would allow her to practice and extend the acquired knowledge to the other young researchers.
“The search and development of new antibiotic effective against ESKAPE pathogens will be of great benefit to patients suffering from nosocomial infections.”
Belinda will work with major isolated compounds that serve as substrates for new derivative through the hemisynthesis. Additionally, she will derive chemical transformations using microorganisms as catalysts to perform on both known and new compounds.