Patrick Caffrey

Dr. Patrick Caffrey serves as an Assistant Professor in the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science at University College Dublin, with a continuous academic appointment since July 1995. His research focuses on engineering polyene macrolide antibiotics, particularly amphotericin B analogues, through genetic manipulation of Streptomyces nodosus and related bacteria.

His research interests center on biosynthesis of polyene antibiotics derived from bacterial and fungal natural products, with emphasis on genetic manipulation of secondary metabolic pathways. Caffrey's work targets engineered biosynthesis of less toxic polyene analogues through polyketide synthase modification, glycosylation engineering, and late-stage oxidative modifications. Key projects include development of 16-descarboxyl-16-methyl amphotericin B and disaccharide-modified polyenes with improved therapeutic indices.

Analysis of recent publications reveals consistent innovation in polyene engineering, with 2022-2024 work focusing on structural characterization of biosynthetic enzymes, biomimetic purification methods, and glycoengineering of novel analogues. His research combines structural biology, synthetic biology, and pharmaceutical chemistry to address toxicity limitations in antifungal therapy.

• Scholarship (2003-2006)

Caffrey actively mentors through module coordination in Microbial Physiology, Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, and Natural Product Synthesis. His research program has secured grants supporting metabolic engineering of antibiotic-producing bacteria. Current work involves optimizing polyene glycosylation and developing biomimetic polymers for analogue purification, with applications against fungal infections, leishmaniasis, and prion diseases.

His laboratory maintains focus on Streptomyces genetics and polyketide biochemistry, collaborating with structural biologists and pharmaceutical chemists to translate engineered biosynthesis into therapeutic candidates.