Ben Capuano

Assoc Professor

Associate Professor, Medicinal Chemistry

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5434-0180

EmailBen.Capuano@monash.edu

Research output per year

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Personal profile

Biography

Position

Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Medicinal Chemistry
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Monash teaching commitment

Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science teaching:
- Introduction to pharmaceutical sciences
- Analytical methods
- Molecular basis of drug action
- Research project

Bachelor of Pharmacy teaching:
- Basis of drug action I
- Integrated therapeutics: Psychiatry

Biography

Dr Capuano is an experienced synthetic medicinal chemist specialising in the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of: (1) small biomolecules targeting G protein-coupled receptors implicated in schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, (2) analogues of the opium poppy-derived alkaloid noscapine as novel anticancer agents and (3) allosteric modulators of the central muscarinic receptor as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, and (4) fragment-based drug discovery towards novel inhibitors of the enzymes DsbA and HIV-integrase as potential antibacterial agents and anti-HIV agents, respectively. The specific expertise include (i) solution and solid phase organic synthesis, (ii) comprehensive chemical purification and characterisation (iii) knowledge of molecular modeling techniques including virtual screening and molecular docking and (iv) training in in vitro/functional & behavioural assays.

Research area keywords

G protein-coupled receptors
schizophrenia
Parkinson's disease
Dopamine D2 Receptor
allosteric modulation
Fragment Based Drug Design
Serotonin Receptors
structure-based drug design
ligand-based drug design
orthosteric ligands

Network

Recent external collaboration on country level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots.

1 Not started
5 Active
17 Finished

IC18.4 Enabling fragment-based lead discovery for challenging targets
Mackay, J. P., Kassiou, M., Scanlon, M. & Capuano, B.
19/12/19 → 21/07/24
Project: Research
IC18.8 Characterisation of soluble and membrane proteins for fragment-based screening using mass spectrometry
Poulsen, S., Scanlon, M., Hallili, M. & Capuano, B.
22/07/19 → 21/07/21
Project: Research
How do BET bromodomain proteins regulate gene expression?
Mackay, J. P., Blobel, G. & Capuano, B.
1/01/18 → 31/12/20
Project: Research
Towards the rational design of calcium sensing receptor allosteric modulators for the treatment of osteoporosis and calcium handling disorders
Leach, K., Gregory, K., Conigrave, A., Capuano, B., Kufareva, I., Thakker, R. & Hannan, F. M.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Australia)
1/01/18 → 31/12/21
Project: Research
European Medicinal Chemistry Conference, Italy
Capuano, B.
Monash University
16/10/00 → …
Project: Research

86 Article
2 Letter
1 Chapter (Book)
1 Abstract
2 More
- 1 Meeting Abstract
- 1 Review Article

Hexaarylbiimidazoles(HABI)-functionalized lyotropic liquid crystalline systems as visible light-responsive materials
Jia, S., Graham, B., Capuano, B., Tan, A., Hawley, A. & Boyd, B. J., 1 Nov 2020, In : Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. 579, p. 379-390 12 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Negative allosteric modulators of the human calcium-sensing receptor bind to overlapping and distinct sites within the 7-transmembrane domain
Josephs, T. M., Keller, A. N., Khajehali, E., DeBono, A., Langmead, C. J., Conigrave, A. D., Capuano, B., Kufareva, I., Gregory, K. J. & Leach, K., Apr 2020, In : British Journal of Pharmacology. 177, 8, p. 1917-1930 14 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)
NMR fragment screening reveals a novel small molecule binding site near the catalytic surface of the disulfide–dithiol oxidoreductase enzyme DsbA from Burkholderia pseudomallei
Nebl, S., Alwan, W. S., Williams, M. L., Sharma, G., Taylor, A., Doak, B. C., Wilde, K. L., McMahon, R. M., Halili, M. A., Martin, J. L., Capuano, B., Fenwick, R. B., Mohanty, B. & Scanlon, M. J., 6 Aug 2020, In : Journal of Biomolecular NMR. 74, p. 595-611 17 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)
Rapid Elaboration of Fragments into Leads by X-ray Crystallographic Screening of Parallel Chemical Libraries (REFiL_X)
Bentley, M. R., Ilyichova, O. V., Wang, G., Williams, M. L., Sharma, G., Alwan, W. S., Whitehouse, R. L., Mohanty, B., Scammells, P. J., Heras, B., Martin, J. L., Totsika, M., Capuano, B., Doak, B. C. & Scanlon, M. J., 9 Jul 2020, In : Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 63, 13, p. 6863-6875 13 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
6-Phenylpyrimidin-4-ones as Positive Allosteric Modulators at the M₁ mAChR: The Determinants of Allosteric Activity
Jorg, M. T., van der Westhuizen, E. T., Khajehali, E., Burger, W. A. C., White, J., Choy, K. H. C., Tobin, A. B., Sexton, P. M., Valant, C., Capuano, B., Christopoulos, A. & Scammells, P. J., 20 Mar 2019, In : ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 10, 3, p. 1099-1114 16 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Open Access
File

2 Citations (Scopus)

1 Submissions to industry or govt committees, commissions and inquiries

Medicinal Chemistry
Ben Capuano (Member)
13 Aug 2013
Activity: External Academic Engagement › Submissions to industry or govt committees, commissions and inquiries