Dr Dorian Muntean

Dr Dorian Muntean

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Tel: +44 1865 275677
E-mail: dorian-gabriel.muntean@chem.ox.ac.uk

Research interests:

My current research focuses on the design and development of β-lactam derivatives as mechanism-based inhibitors of nucleophilic enzymes, particularly viral cysteine proteases and bacterial serine enzymes. Building on the unique reactivity of the strained β-lactam ring, I investigate how structural modifications to penicillin and cephalosporin scaffolds modulate covalent and non-covalent inhibition mechanisms. A major emphasis is the development of β-lactam inhibitors targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, alongside complementary studies on penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and serine β-lactamases (SBLs).