Research summary
Bioactive structures are those that can have an effect on a living organism, tissue or cell—such as antibiotics, enzymes and vitamins. Dr. Andrei Yudin, Canada Research Chair in Medicine by Design, is looking for ways to create new bioactive structures that can serve as treatments for a variety of diseases.
Yudin and his research team are challenging the principles of chemistry, demonstrating that taking macrocycles (molecules containing cyclic frameworks of at least 12 atoms) out of their equilibrium states can create bioactive structures. Their emerging understanding of complex macrocycles will help them to build new classes of bioactive molecules. Ultimately, the knowledge they gain will lead to a radically different approach to discovering new bioactive molecules.