Travin Lab

Research in the Travin Lab focuses on the discovery of novel antimicrobial natural products through comparative genomics and genome mining, with a particular emphasis on compounds that inhibit bacterial protein biosynthesis. The laboratory integrates expertise in genetic engineering, enzymology, mass spectrometry, and structural biology to elucidate the mechanisms of action, biosynthetic pathways, and resistance mechanisms of newly identified antibiotics. By combining computational prediction with experimental validation, the lab aims to accelerate the discovery and mechanistic characterization of next-generation antibacterial agents.

Dmitrii presented a talk titled “Tiarins – Novel Natural Trojan-Horse Inhibitors of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases
Discovered by Genome Mining” at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP) in Denver, Colorado.

A new paper co-first authored by Dmitrii has been published in Nature. A collaborative study by the Wright Lab (McMaster University), the Mankin Lab (University of Illinois Chicago), and the Wilson Lab (University of Hamburg) reports the discovery of manikomycin, the first known antibiotic that targets the E-site of the large bacterial ribosomal subunit. This work reveals a previously unexplored binding site on the bacterial ribosome and provides new insights into the mechanisms of translation inhibition, opening opportunities for the development of antibiotics with novel modes of action.

“A natural depsipeptide antibiotic binds the E-site of the bacterial ribosome” (Nature 655, 737–746 (2026))

We are delighted to welcome Samiran Subedi to the Lab as a Research Specialist. Samiran earned his M.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Delaware and brings extensive experience in protein engineering. We are excited to have him on the team and look forward to his contributions to the lab’s research. Welcome, Samiran, and best of luck with all your projects!