Overview
Dr. Toone is a physical organic chemist who studies relationships between structure and activity in the context of biology. Currently active programs exist in biocatalysis/applied enzymology, ligand binding and the activity of water, and the synthesis of novel donors of nitric oxide. The study of these problems makes use of synthetic organic chemistry,
traditional enzymology, isothermal titration
microcalorimetry, and the techniques of directed evolution.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Professor Emeritus of Chemistry
·
2018 - Present
Chemistry,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Bass Fellow
·
2003 - Present
Chemistry,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
Assessing the threat of Yersinia pestis harboring a multi-resistant IncC plasmid and the efficacy of an antibiotic targeting LpxC.
Journal Article Antimicrob Agents Chemother · March 5, 2025 Self-transmissible IncC plasmids rapidly spread multidrug resistance in many medically important pathogens worldwide. A large plasmid of this type (pIP1202, ~80 Kb) has been isolated in a clinical isolate of Yersinia pestis, the agent of plague. Here, we r ... Full text Link to item CitePreclinical safety and efficacy characterization of an LpxC inhibitor against Gram-negative pathogens.
Journal Article Sci Transl Med · August 9, 2023 The UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxyacyl)-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase LpxC is an essential enzyme in the biosynthesis of lipid A, the outer membrane anchor of lipopolysaccharide and lipooligosaccharide in Gram-negative bacteria. The development of LpxC-targeting a ... Full text Link to item CiteDegradation of Components of the Lpt Transenvelope Machinery Reveals LPS-Dependent Lpt Complex Stability in Escherichia coli.
Journal Article Front Mol Biosci · 2021 Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a peculiar component of the outer membrane (OM) of many Gram-negative bacteria that renders these bacteria highly impermeable to many toxic molecules, including antibiotics. LPS is assembled at the OM by a dedicated intermembran ... Full text Open Access Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Adjuvant Discovery Program (Option #1)
ResearchProject Leader · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2014 - 2017Adjuvant Discovery Program
ResearchProject Leader · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2014 - 2017LpxC inhibitors as a novel class of antibiotics against N. gonorrhoeae
ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2011 - 2017View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Toronto (Canada) ·
1988
Ph.D.
University of Toronto (Canada) ·
1985
M.S.
University of Guelph (Canada) ·
1983
B.S.