Americo Fraboni
Title: Assistant Professor
Department: Biological and Chemical Sciences
Campus: Long Island
Areas of Expertise: Organic Chemistry, Synthesis, Methodology, Organocatalysis, Total Synthesis, Medicinal Chemistry, Antibiotics
Education Credentials: Ph.D.
Joined New York Tech: 2018
New York native Americo Fraboni graduated from the Bronx High School of Science. He received a B.S. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University, where he spent time conducting research in determining the Residual Dipolar Couplings (RDCs) of small organic molecules using simulated anisotropic nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques under Professor Roberto Gil. Fraboni began his graduate studies at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, conducting research at Brooklyn College under the advisement of Professor Stacey Brenner-Moyer. He received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Rutgers University-Newark, following Professor Brenner-Moyer’s acceptance of a position and subsequent moving of the lab. During his time in Professor Brenner-Moyer’s group, he worked on the development of new organocatalytic methods for the gamma-functionalizations of alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes.
Fraboni began his postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Bill Wuest at Temple University and moved with this lab to Emory University to continue his work on carolacton, a compound with unique activity against Streptococcus mutans biofilms. He spent time on the total synthesis of carolacton itself, and has been a part of the design and syntheses of novel analogs for the probing and treatment of Streptococcus mutans biofilms. After the conclusion of his postdoctoral work, Fraboni worked with Professor Ryan Murelli at CUNY Brooklyn College to develop new compounds, including hydroxytropolones, for the treatment of various viral infections and cancers.
Fraboni is generally interested in medicinal chemistry, with a specific focus on the development of new antimicrobial agents from natural product leads in an effort to combat the antibiotic resistance crisis. The goal of his research will be to identify broad- or narrow-spectrum antimicrobial leads, as well as develop diverted total synthetic methods in order to efficiently introduce modifications for the probing of SAR and improvement of efficacy.
Recent Projects/Research
- The development of novel hydroxytropolones for anti-viral screenings
- The diverted total synthesis of carolacton-analogs for the probing and treatment of Streptococcus mutans biofilms
- The development of novel organocatalytic methods for the gamma-functionalization of alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehydes
Publications
- “Diverted Total Synthesis of Carolacton-Inspired Analogs Yields Three Distinct Phenotypes in Streptococcus mutans Biofilms.” Solinski, A.E.; Koval, A. B.; Brzozowski, R.; Morrison, K.R.; Fraboni, A.J.; Carson, C.E.; Eshraghi, A.R.; Zhou, G.; Quivey Jr., R.G.; Voelz, V.A.; Buttaro, B.A.; Wuest, W.M. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139 (21), 7188-7191.
- “Direct Diastereo- and Enantioselective Vinylogous Michael Additions of Linear Enones.” Guo, Q.; Fraboni, A. J.; Brenner-Moyer, S.E. Organic Letters, 2016, 18 (11), 2628-31.
- “Dienamine-catalyzed nitrone formation via redox reaction.” Fraboni, A.J., Brenner-Moyer, S.E. Organic Letters, 2016, 18 (9), 2146-49.
- “γ-Amino alcohols via organocascade reactions involving dienamine catalysis.” Appayee, C.; Fraboni, A.; Brenner-Moyer, S.E. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2012, 77 (19), 8828-34.
Professional Honors & Awards
- Alfred Alberts Biochemistry Award (2012)
Courses Taught at New York Tech
- Chem 110: General Chemistry I
- Chem 210: Organic Chemistry I
- Chem 250: Organic Chemistry II