Steven Polyak

Biography

My research goal is to understand the role of micronutrients, in particular biotin (aka Vitamin H or B7), on infectious and chronic diseases. This work is significant because: Biotin is essential for human health Recent research has highlighted that biotin is also a key nutrient required in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis Whilst its role as a cofactor is well understood, there is a deficiency in understanding how biotin can also regulate gene expression, signaling pathways and metabolism. Host and bacterial proteins that control biotin-dependent events during bacterial infection represent new therapeutic targets for antibiotic discovery. I have established myself as an international expert in the field of biotin biology, as evidenced through invitations to speak at national and international meetings, and write book chapters and literature reviews. I have the expertise required to address new questions in this field and translate this fundamental research for drug discovery. Specifically, my research is directed towards exploiting our knowledge about key proteins to the discovery of new antibiotics to control the drug-resistant bacteria that are a growing threat to human health worldwide. Towards this objective, I have developed a network of collaborators from a variety of disciplines, including biochemistry and molecular biology, microbiology and medicinal chemistry.

Research Interest

Medicine,Medical Education,Research,etc