Daniel Becker

Daniel Becker is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Loyola University Chicago. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a B.A. in Chemistry from Kalamazoo College. Dr. Becker leads the Becker Research Lab, which currently includes 7 graduate students and 8 undergraduates collaborating on interdisciplinary research projects.

His research focuses on medicinal chemistry approaches to develop novel antibiotics through enzyme inhibition, particularly targeting metalloenzymes and serine proteases in pathogenic bacteria. Additional interests include supramolecular chemistry involving cyclotriveratrylene scaffolds for host-guest applications, synthetic methodology development for cascade reactions, and metal-catalyzed functionalization reactions. His team also explores boron neutron capture therapy agents and antiviral compounds.

Analysis of Dr. Becker's recent publications (2020-2025) reveals strong emphasis on bacterial enzyme inhibitors (especially DapE and Na⁺-NQR targets), antibiotic design using pyrazole, tetrazole and naphthoquinone derivatives, structural enzymology, and therapeutic applications of carborane compounds. His work consistently integrates synthetic chemistry, biochemical validation, and structural analysis approaches.

Dr. Becker's laboratory maintains active collaborations with researchers across institutions and regularly presents findings at scientific conferences. The group specializes in enzyme inhibitor design, X-ray crystallography, molecular dynamics, and developing biochemical assays for drug discovery pipelines.