Researchers

Martin Stoermer

Title: Dr

First name: Martin

Surname: Stoermer

Web Site: http://www.uq.edu.au/uqresearchers/researcher/stoermermj.html

E-mail: m.stoermer@imb.uq.edu.au

 

 

Background:
After graduating from Sydney University I came to Queensland working in the group at the Centre for Drug Design and Development, as it was known then. I then went and did an overseas postdoc in Germany and then returned to Australia by taking a job at the Victorian College of Pharmacy, Monash University. In 2000 I returned to Queensland, to the newly formed Institute for Molecular Bioscience. Why did I return? Two words: Research and Facilities.

Firstly the research environment here is the right mixture of chemistry and biology. Our group consists of about half biologists and half chemists, interacting daily and directly in adjacent labs and a single office space. We don't restrict ourselves to peptide chemistry either. Whether it's full-on organic synthesis, med, chem. peptide chemistry, or peptidomimetics, we're doing it. Our molecular modelling research has access to stacks of modern modelling software on 4 platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux, SGI). Our chemical databases, both home grown and public domain run to ~50 ~140 million compounds for all our virtual screening programs.

If you take a walk over to the Labs page on this web site you'll see our level 7 NMR lab. Two 600's with inverse probes (one 1H-13C, one 1H-X) to do pretty much everything you want to do NMR wise on small-medium sized molecules, and one of them can be used in LC mode as well. These are booked a week in advance, and the 400 MHz Varian instrument is a walk-up. And our division also has another 3 NMR's (500, 600, 900MHz) on level 2 which serve the chemists on level 2. Coupled with a great chemical store, walk-up Mass Spec, LCMS I can't think of anywhere better to do biologically-focussed chemistry research in Australia.

Research Interests:
Synthesis of inhibitors of the NS3 serine proteases from Dengue and West Nile Flaviviruses
The application of NMR spectroscopy to the elucidation of solution structure/conformation of small peptides and peptido-organic hybrids
Virtual screening, principally applied to protease, GPCR, and kinase targets
Molecular modeling
Inhibitors of human non-secretory phospholipase A2
The synthesis of small rigid hydrophobic cavitands as enzyme mimetics
The synthesis of inhibitors of HIV-1 proteinase as potential therapeutics for the treatment of AIDS
The synthesis of small non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs as arthritis therapeutics
New methods of heterocyclic synthesis
The study of reactive organometallic intermediates by heteronuclear nmr spectroscopy
The syntheses of non-toxic derivatives and analogues of epibatidine
Development of novel anti-schizophrenic drugs

 

Publications:


Martin doing molecular modelling. Note coffee mug - vital for 
successful modelling

Former Group Members