Joanne Wong, PhD

Global Discovery Chemistry

Basel, Switzerland

The Natural Products and Biomolecular Chemistry group (NPBC) enables and drives activities of drug discovery and development with compounds derived from natural sources, and biomolecules such as enzymes and peptides. This encompasses the identification of new, biologically active natural products from microorganisms to optimization of the producer strains by genetics and physiological strategies in combination with process development in the mid-scale fermentation and isolation plant.

Eukaryotic systems (filamentous fungi, yeasts and plants) are the focus of our team. We engage a multidisciplinary approach involving genome mining, target identification, and genetic engineering of biosynthetic pathways to discover and produce new pharmaceutically-relevant molecules.

 

Selected Publications

Deliberations on Natural Products and Future Directions in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Buntin K, Ertl P, Hoepfner D, Krastel P, Oakeley EJ, Pistorius D, Schuhmann T, Wong J, Petersen F.
Chimia (Aarau). 2021 Aug 25;75(7):620-633.

Decatransin, a new natural product inhibiting protein translocation at the Sec61/SecYEG translocon. 
Junne T, Wong J, Studer C, Aust T, Bauer BW, Beibel M, Bhullar B, Bruccoleri R, Eichenberger J, Estoppey D, Hartmann N, Knapp B, Krastel P, Melin N, Oakeley EJ, Oberer L, Riedl R, Roma G, Schuierer S, Petersen F, Tallarico JA, Rapoport TA, Spiess M, Hoepfner D.
J Cell Sci. 2015 Mar 15;128(6):1217-29.

A novel family of dehydrin-like proteins is involved in stress response in the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.
Wong Sak Hoi J, Lamarre C, Beau R, Meneau I, Berepiki A, Barre A, Mellado E, Read ND, Latgé JP.
Mol Biol Cell. 2011 Jun 1;22(11):1896-906.

Click here for additional publications.