WELCOME TO THE
RESEARCH
Dr. Wenyi Li is an NHMRC Investigator (Emerging Leadership Level 1) in the development of antimicrobials to combat nosocomial infections by using his chemical biology expertise and skillset. By fostering an active collaborative research network, Dr Li has obtained several outstanding successful grants of a total of >$2 million, including 1 NHMRC Investigator EL1 grant, CIA Ramaciotti Health Investment Grant and 1 CIE NHMRC Ideas Grant.
Fostering innovation through cutting-edge research.
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“Dedicated to advancing chemical biology and combating infections through collaboration.”
— Dr. Wenyi Li
Contact
Address
La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science
Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry
La Trobe University | Bundoora, Victoria | 3086 | Australia
Email
wenyi.li@latrobe.edu.au
Phone
+61 (03) 9479 6336
The efficiency of traditional antibiotics has been undermined by the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic microorganisms, necessitating the pursuit of innovative therapeutic agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are part of host defence peptides found ubiquitously in nature, exhibiting a wide range of activity towards bacteria, fungi, and viruses, offer a highly promising candidate solution. The efficacy of AMPs can frequently be augmented via alterations to their amino acid sequences or structural adjustments. Given the vast reservoir of marine life forms and their distinctive ecosystems, marine AMPs stand as a burgeoning focal point in the quest for alternative peptide templates extracted from natural sources. Advances in identification and characterization techniques have accelerated the discoveries of marine AMPs, thereby stimulating AMP customization, optimization, and synthesis research endeavours. This review presents an overview of recent discoveries related to the intriguing qualities of marine AMPs. Emphasis will be placed upon post-translational modifications (PTMs) of marine AMPs and how they may impact functionality and potency. Additionally, this review considers ways in which marine PTM might support larger-scale, heterologous AMP manufacturing initiatives, providing insights into translational applications of these important biomolecules.