SBIR Phase I: Semisynthetic Synthesis of Mutacin 1140

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop new preparative strategies for the peptide antibiotic Mutacin 1140 and related derivatives. Current fermentation and synthetic routes are impractical. In-vitro testing suggests that Mutacin and its derivatives may work on drug-resistant bacterial strains. The peptide backbone of the antibiotic will be produced by cloning and expressing a 22mer artificial gene. The structure will then be modified to a range of derivatives synthetically. The commercial application of the proposed project is in the area of antibiotics to combat human infectious diseases. Screening has indicated effectiveness against a wide range of gram positive and some gram-negative pathogens including multidrug resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus.