Daniel Kahne

Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts ~Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology; Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology. Uses a combination of synthetic chemistry, biochemistry, structure, and genetics to elucidate the assembly of the complex three-dimensional architectures of the peptidoglycan and outer membrane, which are relevant to understanding normal biological function and human disease. Developed novel methods to make glycosidic linkages in complex carbohydrates, including vancomycin derivatives that kill bacteria resistant to vancomycin itself. Ability to synthesize lipid-linked oligosaccharides and to develop assays using these compounds led to the discovery of transglycosylase, a new target for vancomycin. Transglycosylase couples the disaccharide subunits of peptidoglycan, the cell-wall polymer that forms a protective mesh around all bacteria. In collaboration with Suzanne Walker, his lab showed that the natural product moenomycin inhibits transglycosylase and is using moenomycin analogs to elucidate its mechanism and develop better antibiotics. With Thomas Silhavy, contributed to identifying, characterizing, reconstituting, and defining the mechanisms and structures of the molecular machines that transport, assemble, and insert beta-barrel proteins and lipopolysaccharides into the E. coli outer membrane. ~