Synthesis and applications of 6-deoxy-6-amino-chitosan  Seminar

Speaker information

Dr Anwar Jardine , University of Cape Town, South Africa. After completion of my PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 1995, I received an Andrew Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award for studies at UCT Medical School. Here I applied my acquired skills in organic natural product synthesis toward the synthesis of a natural antioxidants. An early highlight of my career was achieving the first chemical synthesis of the mycobacterium tuberculosis antioxidant metabolite called mycothiol. Mycothiol research was given a major boost after synthetic material became accessible. As an extension of the UCT Medical School TB research program, I accepted an invitation from GlaxoSmithkline to spend a year as a postdoctoral scientist at their corporate R&D center in Stevenage (UK). Whilst utilising my natural product chemistry synthetic skills, its application shifted more toward rational drug design. This was a great opportunity to be part of a multi-disciplinary drug discovery group in a major pharmaceutical company. After completing a year on the TB research program, I took up a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. At Harvard Medical School (1998-1999) I conducted natural product chemistry and drug discovery in search of nucleotide based anticancer drugs. In 1999, I left academia and took up a position as Senior Scientist at Johnson Matthey Pharma Outsourcing Division (MA, USA). In the latter position, I engaged in drug development and manufacturing of anti-retrovirals that became the important HIV drugs of today. After spending three years working in the pharmaceutical industry, I was offered a Senior Research Scientist position at Gillette Advanced Technology Centre (MA, US). I joined the Hair Biology and Dermatologics research group where my prior experience in natural products and medicinal chemistry were valued. Being part of a FMCG company, my research was focused on personal care product innovation. While participating in the development of hair growth inhibiting drugs, research in natural product based hair growth inhibitors were actively pursued. Within the latter program I further developed my knowledge and experience in regulatory aspects, interacting with the FDA regarding NDAs (New Drug Applications) as well as patenting, product development and marketing. In 2004, I decided to return to SA to start a career in academia at the University of Stellenbosch where I established a renewed interest in natural product chemistry. However, this time I decided to focus on low molecular mass antioxidants and its role in health and disease. Additionally, I also become passionate about adding value to biomass waste in the context of Green Chemistry. In July 2008, I started a Senior Lectureship at UCT where I continued establishing research capacity in natural product antioxidant biosynthesis and its potential in antimicrobial drug design. In 2009, I was awarded a Grand Challenge Explorations Grant for mycothiol research by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. More recently, I focused on utilising green chemistry principles across all synthesis, whether small molecule natural products or biopolymers. The latter approach led to an expedient synthesis of the lessor known antioxidant vitamin, ergothioneine. Green Chemistry now overarches my entire approach to synthesis, specifically biopolymer valorisation using food waste as a source. The latter research led to the development of water soluble heterogeneous catalysts and antimicrobial polymers. I have also introduced Green Chemistry in my teaching curriculum. I am a member of a Global Green Chemistry Network, G2C2, comprising of members from 36 countries. I also serve as global technical consultant for Unilever.