Our research focuses on two major areas: 1) functional metabolomics for drug target selection and validation with an emphasis on isoprenoid biosynthesis in the asexual and sexual stages of the malaria parasite, and 2) drug discovery from natural sources such as plants and microbes as well as from synthetic libraries. We use multidisciplinary approaches including biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology to study changes in the metabolism of the malaria parasite throughout its life cycle and to reveal how metabolites are transformed into products through a precise and, sometimes, unique way among organisms that we can later exploit to develop safer treatments. Research Areas: Computational Chemistry in Biology
