COBRE for Translational Chemical Biology

The primary goals of the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) for Translational Chemical Biology (CTCB) are to support junior faculty recruitment and mentorship, mission-critical research cores, and growth of an innovative and broad-reaching interdisciplinary translational chemical biology research community. The Center’s theme intersects chemical biology, molecular pharmacology, and pharmaceutical science. CTCB is unique to, and synergistic with, the University of Kentucky’s (UK’s) biomedical research enterprise that offers a wealth of innovative models and potential new drug targets linked to Appalachian Kentucky health disparities. Within this context, the center provides a new unifying framework for faculty to create, leverage, and advance novel chemical probes for the study and control of diverse disease-relevant biology. CTCB’s framework and thematic focus cuts through traditional boundaries and enables the engagement of diverse scientific expertise, perspectives, and approaches in research project development and implementation. The Center’s mentorship and research cores emphasize stringent criteria in chemical probe development and serve as a fundamental cornerstone for advancing new drug leads. CTCB will support and mentor three outstanding junior faculty Research Project Leaders (RPLs) in early Phase 2, all with research programs that intersect the gut-microbiome-disease axis. The Center will implement a new Phase 2 comprehensive Pipeline Program that encompasses new junior faculty recruitment, a pilot project program, and a voucher fund, the combined goal of which is to expand CTCB research core use and enable growth of a critical mass of translational chemical biology researchers at UK. In addition, the Center will further develop and leverage two independent research support cores in Phase 2 that operate as an integrated unit to strategically support probe and project development. As UK’s only assay development and screening core, the CTCB Bio Core will support enabling virtual and wet-bench screening. The complementary CTCB Chem Core, UK’s only synthetic chemistry core, will provide computational ligand design, medicinal chemistry, and probe-based target identification and imaging. As new Phase 2 research resources, CTCB will further grow and leverage its exclusive Natural Products Repository and develop new computational platforms for virtual screening and de novo ligand design. CTCB will also add an experienced Program Associate Director, streamline mentoring teams, and develop a grants development boot camp in Phase 2 to further refine and enhance overall CTCB support. The Center will continue rigorous tracking and evaluation in Phase 2 to ensure efficient progress and rapid response for all components, an emphasis of which will be to establish a cost basis for CTCB core user fees and sustainability.