PRG Exploring Porphyrins for Potential to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Microorganisms
Maria Ballester, PhD is a professor in the Chemistry and Physics department of the Halmos College of Arts & Sciences (HCAS) at NSU. Dr. Ballester is also the HCAS Director of Assessment/Assistant Chair.
Tell me briefly about your recent grant-funded project.
The project is called “Custom design of antimicrobial agents using porphyrins through photodynamic inactivation”. It has to do with antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) using porphyrins as photosensitizers. Porphyrins are being explored for their potential to combat antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. This project aims to study the antimicrobial capabilities of TMPP porphyrin isomers against E. coli and A. baumannii, with the goal of developing targeted antimicrobial agents.
Project Goal: To understand the antimicrobial properties of porphyrins, specifically TMPP isomers, against Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumannii.
Research Method: Experimental and computational approaches are being used to study the effect of porphyrins on bacterial populations under different light conditions.
Expected Outcome: A selection method is being developed to link the conformation, polarity, photophysical, and photochemical properties of porphyrins to their antimicrobial efficacy.
Who is working with you on this project?
- Robert P. Smith, Ph. D., Associate Professor at the K. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
- Brian Van Hozzen, Ph. D., Associate Professor and Victor Castro Junca, Ph. D., Professor. Both at HCAS, Dept. of Chemistry and Physics.
What opportunities and/or benefits does this grant bring to the NSU community?
Significance
Research Focus: Studying antibiotic resistance using cationic porphyrin isomers and their interaction with light to produce ROS.
Research Goal: To understand how the structure and polarity of porphyrin isomers affect their antibacterial effectiveness and ROS production.
Potential Impact: This research could lead to the development of more potent antibiotics and protocols to combat antibiotic resistance.
Innovation
Porphyrin Conformation and Antibacterial Activity: The effect of porphyrin conformation on protein functions and antibacterial treatments is an area requiring further exploration.
Antibacterial Agent Design: Understanding the relationship between porphyrin conformation and antibacterial activity could lead to the design of more effective antibiotics.
Porphyrin Isomer Effects: Different cationic porphyrin isomers showed varying effects on E. coli populations, highlighting the influence of conformation on antibiotic susceptibility.
How does this project connect with your other work at NSU?
This project is part of an overall research effort to understand porphyrins and to find ways to use them to receive help from them. I am normally involved in a few exciting projects every semester, from figuring out how certain porphyrins react to light to studying how their conformations affect their behavior. Additionally, students who work in my lab have the opportunity not only to learn how to use
instruments like UV-vis spectrometers and spectrofluorometers but also learn important techniques that will help them in their graduate studies.
How has NSU helped you pursue and/or achieve personal and professional goals you have set for yourself? NSU resources used?
Nova Southeastern University has offered me great research opportunities. As faculty, I’ve found immense pride in mentoring undergraduate students at NSU. I host independent study courses designed for students to acquire research knowledge. During my years at NSU, my students have presented 22 times: 13 posters at ACS annual meetings (2 awarded Special recognition), 8 at the Undergraduate Symposium (7 posters, 1 3rd place), 1 oral presentation at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference, and 1 poster at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference. I’ve also encouraged interdisciplinary research, collaborating with Dr. Robert P. Smith in Fall 2022. We’re studying the antibacterial properties of cationic porphyrin isomers, aiming to design safe and effective antibacterial products for hospitals and high-risk environments.
I collaborate with other faculty members at NSU. I have worked with Dr. Victor Castro and Dr. Brian Van Hoozen on various projects, including wavelength-dependent activation of biological porphyrins. These collaborations have led to presentations at national and regional conferences with our undergraduate students. I also work with Dr. Van Hoozen on computational porphyrin analysis. We received an XSEDE Startup Grant and a President’s Faculty Research & Development Grant for our research on how water molecular vibrations may prevent skin cancer.
Externally, I’ve collaborated with scientists across the country, including Dr. Craig J. Medforth at Sandia National Laboratories and Dr. Sergei A. Vinogradov at the University of Pennsylvania. We conducted research on the basicities of free base porphyrins and published our findings in the Journal of Physical Chemistry (2020). Currently, we’re working on a manuscript about anion influences on porphyrin stabilization. I have also collaborated with Dr. Stephen Winkle on porphyrin binding to DNA. Dr. Winkle presented our findings at the 249th Natl. ACS Meeting (2015) and the 69th Calorimetry Conference (2014). Additionally, I collaborated with Victoria Ramsauer, Ph.D., on the anticancer properties of flavones, resulting in a publication in the journal “Qualitative Analysis of Sequence Specific Binding of Flavones to DNA Using Restriction Endonuclease Activity Assays in Biopolymers” (2013).
Working with other scientists has enhanced my scientific skills and instilled in me the value of collaboration. I’m eager to pursue further scientific opportunities as a faculty member at Nova Southeastern University and contribute to our university’s research dedication.
What advice do you have for other grant seekers at NSU?
Be persistence and patience. Anticipate potential setbacks and consider the likelihood of rejection. Although that is not ideal, it will give you the chance for your proposal to be peer-reviewed.
Often, these comments will improve your next proposal or even lead you in a new direction.
What is the next grant proposal or project on your agenda?
Keep developing the current project. We would like to know about the applicability of this method to a broad spectrum of bacteria and determine which porphyrins are most suitable for this purpose. Additionally, we aim to ascertain the optimal type of light that effectively activates the porphyrins.