Väitös (biokemia): MSc Rongbin Wang
Aika
22.8.2025 klo 12.00 – 16.00
MSc Rongbin Wang esittää väitöskirjansa ”SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY PLATFORM FOR PRODUCTION OF NOVEL ANTHRACYCLINE ANTICANCER AGENTS” julkisesti tarkastettavaksi Turun yliopistossa perjantaina 22.8.2025 klo 12.00 (Turun yliopisto, Medisiina C, Osmo Järvi-sali, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, Turku).
Vastaväittäjänä toimii professori Eriko Takano (Manchesterin yliopisto, Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta) ja kustoksena professori Mikko Metsä-Ketelä (Turun yliopisto). Tilaisuus on englanninkielinen. Väitöksen alana on biokemia.
Väitöskirja yliopiston julkaisuarkistossa: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0269-9 (kopioi linkki selaimeen).
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Tiivistelmä väitöstutkimuksesta:
This doctoral research focused on the Streptomyces bacteria, which naturally make powerful anti-cancer medicine anthracyclines. Anthracyclines are prescribed to more than three million patients annually, however, they can cause serious irreversible heart damage. Although modifications on the structures can reduce the side effects, it is very difficult to modify the structures by traditional chemical synthesis in the lab because of their complex structures.
To solve this problem, I built a new synthetic biology platform that makes it much easier to modify and improve these cancer drugs. Using this system, I reported the first case of complete biosynthesis of three important anthracyclines, including nogalamycin, doxorubicin, and aclacinomycin, from simple carbon sources. I also managed to make 13 new versions of anthracyclines by strategic mixing and matching the biosynthetic modules. The following bioactivity assays on these compounds found six high potency anthracyclines.
Overall, this work opens the door to safer, better cancer treatments in the future and shows a new way for scientists to develop complex natural medicines more easily and quickly.
Vastaväittäjänä toimii professori Eriko Takano (Manchesterin yliopisto, Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta) ja kustoksena professori Mikko Metsä-Ketelä (Turun yliopisto). Tilaisuus on englanninkielinen. Väitöksen alana on biokemia.
Väitöskirja yliopiston julkaisuarkistossa: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0269-9 (kopioi linkki selaimeen).
***
Tiivistelmä väitöstutkimuksesta:
This doctoral research focused on the Streptomyces bacteria, which naturally make powerful anti-cancer medicine anthracyclines. Anthracyclines are prescribed to more than three million patients annually, however, they can cause serious irreversible heart damage. Although modifications on the structures can reduce the side effects, it is very difficult to modify the structures by traditional chemical synthesis in the lab because of their complex structures.
To solve this problem, I built a new synthetic biology platform that makes it much easier to modify and improve these cancer drugs. Using this system, I reported the first case of complete biosynthesis of three important anthracyclines, including nogalamycin, doxorubicin, and aclacinomycin, from simple carbon sources. I also managed to make 13 new versions of anthracyclines by strategic mixing and matching the biosynthetic modules. The following bioactivity assays on these compounds found six high potency anthracyclines.
Overall, this work opens the door to safer, better cancer treatments in the future and shows a new way for scientists to develop complex natural medicines more easily and quickly.
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