Eric Bonsu
Education
2005
Ph.D. Pharmacy/ Medicinal Chemistry
Advisor: Prof. V. Nair
Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences
College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia
Athens GA 30602
2002
Ph.D. Candidate (Organic Chemistry)
GAANN Fellow (Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need)
Advisor: Prof. V. Nair
Dept. of Chemistry, University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
1998
B.S. Chemistry
Dept. of Chemistry, Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View, TX 77446
Courses
General Chemistry I (CHEM 107) and Organic Chemistry II (CHEM 201)
Research Interests
Eric’s research is in modern synthetic chemistry, the usage of modern state-of-the art analytical instrumentation for full physio-chemical characterization of the properties of new and existing chemical substances, as well as the application of computational, mechanistic, structure - activity relationships to drug design, development and synthesis.
His work in intelligent drug design, synthesis, and evaluation of new and structurally - modified agents is advancing research leading to the discovery of new antiviral, anticancer, and antimalaria drugs which will stop/ reverse cancer or eradicate the etiological agents of malaria and viral diseases. Current work includes
- C -2, C- 6, and C-8 functionalized ribofuranosyl purine nucleosides as targets against inhibition of Inosine Monophosphate Dehydrogenase (IMPDH) leading to new and improved antiviral, anticancer, antibacterial and immunosuppressive drugs
- Nucleoside analogue inhibitors against Plasmodium falciprum Thymidylate kinase (PfTMPK) leading to new and improved antimalaria drugs.
- Synthesis of analogues of Toyocamycin as anticancer chemotherapeutic agents
- Synthesis of modified indolinones as c-di-AMP synthase inhibitors for antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities
Eric works on other projects that involve the evaluation of the effects of select chemicals on certain secondary metabolites of food crops (Metabolomics) as well as bench-top and pilot-scale microbial fermentation and Petroleum Bio-remediation.
Professional Memberships
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Patents & Publications
Agents that inhibit bacterial biofilm formation. Nira Rabin, Yue Zheng, Clement Opoku-Temeng, Yixuan Du, Eric Bonsu and Herman O. Sintim* Future Med. Chem. 2015, 7: 647-671
Biofilm formation mechanisms and targets for developing anti-biofilm agents. Nira Rabin, Yue Zheng, Clement Opoku-Temeng, Yixuan Du, Eric Bonsu and Herman O. Sintim* Future Med. Chem. 2015, 7: 493-512
Zhang, X. Ma, E. Bonsu, and V. Nair, Base-functionalized carbocyclic nucleosides: design, synthesis, and mechanism of antiviral activity. Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids, 2009, 28 (5), 408-23.
Nair, V.; Uchil, V.; Ma, X.; Zhu, Q.; Zhang, F.; Bonsu, E. Ribonucleosides Bearing Michael Acceptors: Synthesis, Molecular Docking, Enzyme Inhibition Data and Antiviral Activity, Nucleic Acids Symposium Series, 2008, No. 52 625 – 626.
Nair, V.; Bonsu, E., Gupta, M., Story, S. Discovery of Antiviral Agents against RNA Viruses: Correlation with Inhibitors of IMPDH, Antiviral Res. 2005, 65, A67.
Story, M. Gupta, E. Bonsu and V. Nair, Inhibitors of Inosine Monophosphate
Dehydrogenase: Probes for Antiviral Drug Discovery, Nucleosides, Nucleotides &
Nucleic Acids, 2005, 24 (5-7), 717-720.
Nair, S. Story, M. Gupta and E. Bonsu, Antiviral Ribonucleosides: Inhibitors of Inosine
Monophosphate Dehydrogenase, Antiviral Res. 2004, 62, A72.
Story, M. Gupta, E. Bonsu and V. Nair, Inhibitors of Inosine Monophosphate
Dehydrogenase: Probes for Antiviral Drug Discovery, 16th International Roundtable
Conference on Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids, Minneapolis, MN, 2004.
Nair, B. Bera and E. Bonsu, Antiviral Drug Discovery: Inhibitors of Inosine
Monophosphate Dehydrogenase, Georgia Life Sciences Summit 2003, Atlanta, Georgia, 2003.