Dr. Kamaljit Kaur
2-142K Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy & Health Research
University of Alberta
11361 – 87 Avenue
Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1
(780) 492 - 8917
Email: kkaur@pharmacy.ualberta.ca
Lab Website: Biological & Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory
Position
Associate Professor
University Education
Ph.D. Bioorganic Chemistry (Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA)
M.Sc. Organic Chemistry (Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India)
B.Sc. Chemistry Hons. (Delhi University, New Delhi, India)
Major Specialization
Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry
Current Teaching
PHARM 301 Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry
PHARM 307 Medicinal Chemistry – Dermatology Module
PHARM 357 Medicinal Chemistry – Gastrointestinal Module
PHARM 437 Medicinal Chemistry – Bone & Joint Module
PHARM 499 Medicinal Chemistry – Women’s & Men’s Health Module
PHARM 573 Analytical Techniques in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Areas of Research
Biologically active peptides
Peptide-mimetics
Cancer targeting peptides
Peptide-peptide and peptide-protein interactions using model membrane systems
Viral (HCV and SARS) entry inhibitors
Current Research
All biological processes involve interaction between molecules. These include peptide-protein, ligand-receptor, or substrate/inhibitor-enzyme interactions. Our research concentrates on studying these types of interactions using common techniques of bioorganic chemistry, which are relevant to medicinal chemistry. Currently we are actively pursuing research in the following areas:
- Design, synthesis, and evaluation of bacteriocin/microcin (antimicrobial peptide) analogues.
- Design and synthesis of biologically active and metabolically stable b3-peptides (peptide-mimetics) from L- aspartic acid and b3-amino-L-alanine.
- Peptide engineering for improved cancer targeting agents.
- Studying mechanism of interaction of peptides using molecular dynamics simulations.
- Design and synthesis of peptides as protein-protein interaction inhibitors or virus entry inhibitors (for HCV and SARS).
Selected Publications
W. Soliman, L. Wang, S. Bhattacharjee, and K. Kaur, Structure-Activity Relationships of an Antimicrobial Peptide Plantaricin S from Two-peptide Class IIb Bacteriocins, J. Med. Chem. 2011, in press.
S. Ahmed, A.S. Mathews, N. Byeon, A. Lavasanifar, K. Kaur, Peptide Arrays for Screening Cancer Specific Peptides. Anal. Chem., 2010, 82, 7533-7541.
W. Soliman, S. Bhattacharjee, and K. Kaur, Adsorption of an Antimicrobial Peptide on Self-Assembled Monolayers by Molecular Dynamics Simulation, J. Phys. Chem. B 2010, 114, 11292-11302.
W. Soliman, S. Bhattacharjee, and K. Kaur*, Interaction of an Antimicrobial Peptide with a Model Lipid Bilayer using Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Langmuir 2009, 25, 6591-6595.
S. Ahmed and K. Kaur, The Proteolytic Stability and Cytotoxicity Studies of L-Aspartic Acid and L-Diaminopropionic Acid derived b-Peptides and a Mixed a/b-Peptide, Chem. Biol. Drug Des. 2009, 73, 545-552.
R. Beleid, D. Douglas, N. Kneteman, and K. Kaur, Helical peptides derived from lactoferrin bind hepatitis C virus envelope protein E2, Chem. Biol. Drug Des. 2008, 72, 436-443.
K. Kaur, T. Sprules, W. Soliman, R. Beleid, S. Ahmed, Right-handed 14-Helix in b3-Peptides from L-Aspartic Acid Monomers, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 2008, 1784, 658-665.
W. Soliman, S. Bhattacharjee, and K. Kaur, Molecular dynamics simulation study of interaction between a class IIa bacteriocin and its immunity protein, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 2007, 1774, 1002-1013.
S. Ahmed, R. Beleid, T. Sprules, and K. Kaur, Solid-phase synthesis and CD spectroscopic investigations of novel b-peptides from L-aspartic acid and beta-amino-L-alanine, Org. Lett. 2007, 9, 25-28.