OHAMR Call for proposals 2026

General Information

• Type: Partner looking for project
• Organisation: Selcuk University
• Country: Turkey (TR)
• Career stage: Early Career Researcher (up to 8 years** since PhD).

Research area

• Scientific area(s) of the call:
  1. Topic 1: Identify and develop new combination treatments using existing or innovative antimicrobials or antimicrobial with adjunctive treatments to extend drug efficacy and combat resistance.
• One Health Setting:

  H - Human Health

• Keywords:

  Medicinal Chemistry; DNA Minor Groove Binders; Dual-Action Small Molecules; Antimicrobial Drug Discovery; Structure-Based Drug Design

• Brief description of your expertise / expertise you are looking for:

  Medicinal Chemistry & DNA-Targeting Drug Design We offer specialised expertise in the design and multi-step synthesis of dual-action small molecules specifically targeting the DNA minor groove to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Our approach focuses on hybrid pharmacophores intended to overcome existing resistance mechanisms. Synthetic Chemistry: Design and synthesis of novel DNA-binding agents and other combined small-molecule therapeutics. Structural Characterisation: Proficiency in NMR spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry (MS) for compound validation. Bio-Physical Assays: Investigation of drug-DNA interactions using DNA gel electrophoresis, plasmid DNA models, and enzyme assays to verify binding modes and efficacy at the molecular level. We are looking to join a consortium as a Medicinal Chemistry partner to contribute our novel compound libraries and synthetic capabilities.

• Brief description of your project / the project you would like to join:

  -Representing the Selcuk University (Incoming Researcher) research group. Currently finalizing PhD research at the University of Strathclyde (UK) and transferring advanced NMR & Drug Discovery know-how to the Turkish host institution upon project commencement.- We specialize in the design and synthesis of novel DNA Minor Groove Binders (MGBs) with dual-action mechanisms to tackle AMR. Our expertise bridges advanced medicinal chemistry with molecular validation. We offer/contribute: Structure-Based Design: Lead optimization guided by high-resolution NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. Molecular Mechanism Validation: Elucidation of protein-level targets and resistance mechanisms using Western Blotting and proteomic analyses. Advanced Phenotypic Screening: Assessing compound efficacy against microbial biofilms to overcome physical resistance barriers. Genomic Profiling: Utilizing Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) to map the transcriptomic impact of our MGBs on resistant pathogens. We are looking to join a consortium to translate our lead MGB compounds into clinical candidates using these integrative omics and biofilm-focused approaches.

Bekir Caglar Celikkaya

• Organisation: Selcuk University
• Position:
• E-mail: bekir.celikkaya@strath.ac.uk
• Phone: 07385608310