Principal scientist
Dr Mick Black

Other scientists
Dr J-M Bruneau, Dr C Miossec, Dr D Platel, Dr M. Uguen.

Experience of the participating organisation and scientists

Participating organisation

The proposed work will be carried out in the Discovery Biology department of NOVEXEL S. A. NOVEXEL is a new pharmaceutical company focused exclusively on the discovery, development and rapid progression to market of novel antibacterial and antifungal agents to treat severe and difficult to treat bacterial and fungal infections. NOVEXEL was formed in 2004 as the result of a spin-out of the Antiinfectives Unit of Aventis Pharma, a world-leader in the discovery and provision of antimicrobial drugs. NOVEXEL has core expertise in Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Microbiology and Clinical Development and is led by a proven management team which has a total of over 100 man-years of international experience in antiinfective discovery, clinical development and approval. NOVEXEL has access to a proprietary chemical library of several thousand molecules selected from the Aventis Pharma collection. Strong expertise is in the in vitro and in vivo validation of antimicrobial protein targets for drug discovery, development of HTS assays, selection and validation of antimicrobial agents through biochemical assays, in vitro testing on panels of bacteria and fungi, and in vivo assessment of antimicrobial activity in various models of infection.

Participating scientists

Dr Black joined Novexel as the Head of Discovery Biology after spending six years with Aventis Pharma as Director of the Molecular Biology Department in the Infectious Diseases Group where he had responsibility for the strategic, scientific and managerial leadership of the genomics- driven discovery platform. Prior to Aventis, he spent ten years with SmithKline Beecham in the UK and the USA in their Anti-infectives R&D group. Dr Black is co-author of fourteen patent applications covering different aspects of antiinfectives drug discovery.
Dr Bruneau leads the Compound Evaluation group of the Discovery Biology departement of NOVEXEL. He has expertise in protein purification, proteomics, characterisation of compounds acting against antimicrobial targets, and BIACORE analysis of protein-ligand interaction. Of particular relevance to this project, Dr Bruneau's thesis work was centered on A. fumigatus beta(1,3)glucan synthase, GPI-anchored proteins associated with cell wall biosynthesis, and proteomics analysis of C. albicans following treatment with echinocandins.
Dr Miossec has 8-years experience in antiinfectives molecular biology and is an expert in gene validation and in antiinfectives project management.
Dr Platel is expert in fungal microbiology including in vivo models

Relevant publications

JM Bruneau, I Maillet, E Tagat, R Legrand, F Supatto, C Fudali, J-P Le Caer, V Labas, D Lecaque, & J Hodgson (2003), Drug induced proteome changes in Candida albicans: comparison of the effect of beta(1,3) glucan inhibitors and two triazoles, fluconazole and itraconazole, Proteomics, 3:325-336.

JM Bruneau, T Magnin , E Tagat, R Legrand, M Bernard , M Diaquin, C Fudali, & J-P Latgé (2001), Proteome analysis of Aspergillus fumigatus identifies glycosylphosphatidylinositol- anchored proteins associated to the cell wall biosynthesis, Electrophoresis, 22:2812-2823.

A Beauvais, JM Bruneau, PC Mol, MJ Buitrago, R Legrand, & JP Latgé (2001) Glucan Synthase Complex of Aspergillus fumigatus J. Bacteriol., 183:2273-2279.