Loesgen Lab News

Dr. Sandra Loesgen Receives ASP Matt Suffness Young Investigator Award

Dr. Sandra Loesgen in laboratory

Congratulations to Whitney Laboratory Associate Professor of Chemistry for recently being selected as a recipient of the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP) Matt Suffness Young Investigator Award. Read More


Sandra Loesgen Co-Authored Article featured in UF News - Natural product discoveries support drug discovery research

Close view of laboratory equipment

In a series of recent papers, including one published Jan. 2 in the journal Chem, Jeff Rudolf’s group, in collaboration with Sandra Loesgen, discovered how bacteria craft unusual versions of terpenoids, known as eunicellanes. The discoveries by the team could open up new avenues to explore the eunicellanes as drug candidates. Read More


Dr. Sandra Loesgen Appointed Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry

Dr. Sandra Loesgen in laboratory

Congratulations to Dr. Sandra Loesgen who is now appointed as an affiliate associate professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the UF College of Pharmacy. Read More


Loesgen Lab published in Advances in Cancer Biology - Metastasis

Elizabeth Kaweesa, Sandra Loesgen

Congratulations to Dr. Elizabeth Kaweesa and Prof Sandra Loesgen at Whitney Laboratory, who recently published with collaborators in Advances in Cancer Biology - Metastasis - "Combination of the natural product mensacarcin with vemurafenib (Zelboraf) combats BRAF mutant and chemo-resistant melanoma in vitro by affecting cell metabolism and cellular migration." Read More


Paper Published in Microbiology Spectrum Explores Heat Stress in Cnidarian-Agal Interaction

FIG 1 Heat-stressed symbionts have decreased ability to colonize aposymbiotic hosts.

Congratulations to the Loesgen Lab for their contributions to a recent paper entitled, "Heat Stress of Algal Partner Hinders Colonization Success and Alters the Algal Cell Surface Glycome in a Cnidarian-Algal Symbiosis" published in Microbiology Spectrum that has implications of ocean warming on corals. Read More


Loesgen Lab Welcomes Anon Boonkerd

 Boonkerd, Anon

Please welcome Anon Boonkerd, a visiting scholar, to the Whitney Laboratory! While at Whitney, Anon will be joining Dr. Sandra Loesgen’s lab and investigating fungal natural products, bioassays, and compound identification. Read More


Dr. Loesgen and Colleagues Publish in Journal Cancers

 Loesgen, Sandra

Congratulations to Dr. Sandra Loesgen and colleagues who recently published a paper in the special issue 'Pediatric Cancers' in the open access Journal Cancers entitled 'Altertoxin II, a Highly Effective and Specific Compound against Ewing Sarcoma'. Read More


Strother and Loesgen Labs welcome Amelia Bunnell

Bunnell, Amelia

Please welcome Amelia Bunnell to Whitney Laboratory! She recently joined Dr. Sandra Loesgen's Lab and Dr. James Strother's Lab as a laboratory technician. Read More


Congratulations to Dr. Sandra Loesgen on New National Science Foundation Award

 Loesgen, Sandra

Congratulations to Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Sandra Loesgen who was awarded a new three year National Science Foundation (NSF) Award in collaboration with Dr. Virginia Weis. Read More


Loesgen Lab Publishes Paper in Molecules

 Loesgen Lab Paper Image

Congrats to Loesgen Lab members Mahsa Khoshbakht (co-advised at OSU), Dr. Annika Jagels (Whitney Lab), and former Loesgen Lab members Jason Srey (undergraduate researcher) and Dr. Donovon Adpressa whose paper "Precursor-Directed Biosynthesis of Aminofulvenes: New Chalanilines from Endophytic Fungus Chalara sp." was recently published in Molecules. Read More


Loesgen Lab Welcomes Dr. Oh-Seok Kwon

 Kwon, Oh-Seok

Please welcome Dr. Oh-Seok Kwon to Whitney Laboratory! He recently joined Dr. Sandra Loesgen's Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Read More


Loesgen Lab Publishes Collaborative Papers in MDPI and The Journal of Organic Chemistry

Introductory figure of the Chalaniline B total synthesis

Congratulations to the Loesgen Lab, who collaborative papers "Total Synthesis of Chalaniline B: An Antibiotic Aminoxanthone from Vorinostat-Treated Fungus Chalara sp. 6661" and "Comparative Genomics of Eight Fusarium graminearum Strains with Contrasting Aggressiveness Reveals an Expanded Open Pangenome and Extended Effector Content Signatures" were recently published. Read More


Dr. Sandra Loesgen Receives Grant from National Science Foundation National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

 Loesgen, Sandra

Congratulations to Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Sandra Loesgen who was awarded a new three year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Read More


Buried Treasure: How a Bit of Soil Led to a Rare Discovery for Microbial Chemistry

 Streptomyces strain, producer of Benditerpenoic acid

Researchers from the Whitney Laboratory and the University of Florida Department of Chemistry identified a new molecule that could have medicinal purposes. Read More


Elizabeth Kaweesa of the Loesgen Lab Defends her PhD!

 Kaweesa, Elizabeth

On March 9th, Elizabeth N. Kaweesa, a graduate student advised by Sandra Loesgen, Associate Professor of Chemistry, gave her Ph.D. defense seminar entitled “Screening and In Vitro Assessment of Cytotoxic Natural Products” and successfully earned her doctorate degree. Read More


Dr. Sandra Loesgen in NPR Article

 Loesgen, Sandra

Dr. Sandra Loesgen was recently interviewed for the NPR article, UF Researchers Say Marine Products Show Promising Future In Medical Advancements Read More


Loesgen Lab Publishes Paper in Angewandte Chemie

benditerpenoic acid

Congratulations to the Loesgen Lab, in collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Rudolf, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida, and his lab for a paper titled "Discovery and biosynthesis of a structurally dynamic antibacterial diterpenoid." Read More


Brent Foster Publishes Article in the Palm Coast Observer on Dr. Elizabeth Kaweesa's research

Kaweesa observing media with cancer cell

Another one bites the dust: Scientist in Flagler investigates how bacteria in the soil can help combat skin cancer Read More


Dr. Sandra Loesgen in GEO kompakt Magazine

GEO Kompakt Article

Congratulations to Dr. Sandra Loesgen, who was recently featured in an article in GEO kompakt Magazine, Die Unterwasserapotheke, or Underwater Pharmacy. The article highlights the natural products community efforts to find new medications from marine sources. Read More


News Loesgen Lab Paper in Chemistry and Biodiversity

Strains

Congratulations to current and former members of the Loesgen Lab who recently published a collaborative paper titled "Biodiversity, bioactivity, and metabolites of high desert derived Oregonian soil bacteria" in Chemistry and Biodiversity. Read More


Whitney Hosts IUPAC Global Women's Breakfast to Celebrate Women in Science

 Women in Science Breakfast 2021

On February 9, Whitney participated in their second International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Global Women's Breakfast with 62 Countries to promote and celebrate Women and Diversity in Science. Thank you Dr. Sandra Loesgen and her lab for hosting again this year! Read More


Dr. Mark McCauley Joins the Loesgen Lab

 McCauley, Mark

Please welcome Mark McCauley, Ph.D. to Whitney Laboratory! He recently joined Dr. Sandra Loesgen’s lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Read More


New Loesgen Lab Collaborative Paper in mBio

mBio Loesgen Paper

Congratulations to the Loesgen Lab who recently published a collaborative paper titled "Transcriptomic, Protein-DNA Interaction, and Metabolomic Studies of VosA, VelB, and WetA in Aspergillus nidulans Asexual Spores" in mBio. Read More


Erin Marshall Joins the Loesgen Lab

 Marshall, Erin

Please welcome Erin Marshall to Whitney Laboratory! She recently joined Dr. Sandra Loesgen’s lab as a PhD Student. Read More


Sip ‘N Science YouTube Link – Drugs from Dirt and Oceans

Strains

If you missed our Sip 'N Science recently with Dr. Sandra Loesgen the webinar is now on our YouTube channel. Read More


Whitney Sip 'N Science Free Webinar Dec. 10 - Dr. Sandra Loesgen | Drugs from Dirt and Oceans

Sip 'N Science

Join us for our December Webinar! Dr. Sandra Loesgen will share the interesting origins of some of our current health care pharmaceuticals, and why her lab focuses on microscopic organisms, or microbes for drug discovery. We will then take a global journey with Dr. Loesgen to discover where the microbes they work with are found, along with their chemistry and how they could help human health. Read More


Loesgen Lab Publishes Paper in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

Image for Loesgen Lab paper

Congratulations to previous Loesgen lab members and Dr. Sandra Loesgen for a new paper titled ""Biolayer interferometry provides a robust method for detecting DNA binding small molecules in microbial extracts." Read More


Elizabeth Kaweesa Panelist at The American Society of Pharmacognosy's Diversity and Inclusion Committee Webinar

 Kaweesa, Elizabeth

Elizabeth Kaweesa, Ph.D. Student in the Loesgen Lab, was recently a panelist at The American Society of Pharmacognosy's Diversity and Inclusion Committee Webinar - Fostering Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Scientific Research Groups Read More


Paige Mandelare of the Loesgen Lab Defends her Phd!

Paige with Loesgen Lab at PhD Defense

On November 5th, Paige E. Mandelare, a graduate student advised by Sandra Loesgen, Associate Professor of Chemistry, gave her Ph.D. defense seminar entitled “Chemical Signaling in Marine Fungal and Coral Systems” and successfully earned her doctorate degree. Read More


Dr. Annika Jagels Awarded Walter Benjamin Fellowship from the German Research Foundation

Annika Jagels

Congratulations to Dr. Annika Jagels, postdoctoral research associate in the Loesgen Lab, for receiving a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG). Read More


National Postdoc Appreciation Week - Loesgen Lab Postdoc Spotlight

Postdoc Appreciation Week Graphic

Please join us for in celebrating Whitney Laboratory Postdocs and the contributions they make to the lab, U.S. research and discovery! Today we spotlight a postdoc in the Loesgen Lab. Read More


Congratulations Dr. Sandra Loesgen on new National Science Foundation Award

 Loesgen, Sandra

Congratulations to Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Sandra Loesgen who was awarded a new three year National Science Foundation (NSF) Award: URoL: MTM 1: Chemistry of cnidarian symbiosis: microbiomes role in association, morphogenesis, and protection Read More


Dr. Annika Jagels Joins the Loesgen Lab

Annika Jagels

Please welcome Annika Jagels to Whitney Laboratory! She recently joined Dr. Sandra Loesgen’s lab as a postdoctoral research associate. Read More


Dr. Sandra Loesgen Publishes Paper in Microbial Ecology

 Loesgen, Sandra

Congratulations to Dr. Sandra Loesgen, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the Whitney Laboratory, who recently published a paper about the chemistry of coral-algae recognition in Microbial Ecology titled "N-Linked Surface Glycan Biosynthesis, Composition, Inhibition, and Function in Cnidarian-Dinoflagellate Symbiosis." Read More


Dr. Sandra Loesgen has new paper in the Journal of Natural Products

Congratulations to Dr. Sandra Loesgen, Associate Professor of Chemistry at the Whitney Laboratory, who recently published a paper in the Journal of Natural Products titled "Polyketides from Marine-Derived Aspergillus porosus: Challenges and Opportunities for Determining Absolute Configuration." Read More


Welcome New Faculty Dr. Sandra Loesgen and lab members to Whitney

Loesgen Lab

Please welcome Associate Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Sandra Loesgen, and her lab to Whitney! The Loesgen Lab is focused on understanding the diversity and bioactivity of the chemicals produced by microorganisms, with an emphasis on compounds with medical applications. They employ a multi-disciplinary approach to isolate compounds produced by under-explored groups of microorganisms, and identify chemicals with anticancer, antibacterial, or antiviral activity. Read More