Staff profile
Dr Maureen Mackay
Emeritus Scholar
Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering
School of Molecular SciencesDepartment of Chemistry
Physical Sciences 3, Room 116, Melbourne (Bundoora)
- T: +61 3 9479 2506
- F: +61 3 9479 1399
- E: Maureen.Mackay@latrobe.edu.au
Qualifications
BSc(Hons) (Sydney), PhD (Melbourne), FRACI
Area of study
Chemistry
Brief profile
Research Expertise
Crystallographic Conformational Studies
X-ray crystallography is a powerful method for determining solid-state structures, and has been used to accurately determine the molecular conformations of a number of small molecules exhibiting a variety of biological activities. The broad aim of the research is to gain further insight into the mode of reaction at the molecular level of these biologically active compounds. A particular study has been of the alkaloid colchicine, C22H25NO6 and related compounds.
Colchicine has long been known for its anti-tumour properties. It exerts a potent antimitotic activity by inhibition of the assembly of microtubules to tubulin which prevents cell division in living organisms and as such is a powerful anticancer agent. As colchicine itself is too toxic for therapeutic use, the conformational detail in a number of compounds which mimic its structure has been the subject of study.
