Dr Mai Elnaggar

Biography

My main research interests lie in natural product–based drug discovery, particularly the identification and development of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. I am deeply passionate about exploring natural products as a rich source of novel medicines. My early research focused on small molecules derived from plants, including their isolation, structural elucidation, and evaluation of their biological activities.

Over time, my research interests evolved toward interdisciplinary studies at the interface of chemistry and biology, with a particular focus on understanding the biosynthesis of natural products and engineering the enzymes involved in their production to expand and enhance their biosynthetic capabilities. I subsequently developed a strong interest in plant-derived cyclic peptides, focusing on modifying their structures to generate potent and selective enzyme inhibitors during my Fulbright scholarship at Camarero’s lab, University of Southern California.

Currently, my research centres on peptide chemistry and the enzymatic machinery involved in peptide biosynthesis, with the broader aim of addressing important unmet medical needs. During my current Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, I am working on the DeDAMPL project (Exploring a Dehydrating/condensation enzyme Domain for a Diversified Antimicrobial Peptide Library), which focuses on the development of a diversified antimicrobial peptide library through the study of a unique non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS)-associated enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of dehydroamino acid-containing peptides. The project aims to develop efficient enzymatic strategies for generating structurally diverse antimicrobial peptides with enhanced therapeutic properties.

Prizes and Awards

Fulbright postdoctoral Scholarship, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California,Los Angeles, California, USA

Postdoctoral fellowship at the School of Chemistry & Biosciences, University of Bradford