Faculty Sponsor: Jason Sello

Elise explored the mechanism by which a potentially useful antibacterial compound is biosynthesized by a bacterium called Streptomyces griseus. This compound, known as Indolmycin, has potent activity against clinically troublesome Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. As Indolmycin can only be produced in sufficient quantities for medical applications by fermentation of S. griseus, it is critical to understand how it is biosynthesized. Elise used a combination of genetic and biochemical methods to unveil the order and nature of the chemical reactions that underlie the biosynthesis of Indolmycin.