Dr Yousef Dashti
School of Medical Sciences
Faculty of Medicine and Health
Yousef Dashti completed his PhD in natural products chemistry at the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery for research carried out under the supervision of Prof Ron Quinn. Following his PhD, he joined Prof Greg Challis’s lab at the University of Warwick, UK, as a postdoctoral scholar. During this period, he expanded his knowledge and experience in natural products discovery by incorporating microbiology, bioinformatics, molecular genetics, and enzymology techniques to discover and investigate the biosynthetic pathways of bioactive specialized metabolites in various microorganisms. To further enhance his experience in antibacterial discovery, with a specific focus on identifying modes of action and molecular targets, he joined Prof Jeff Errington’s group at the Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology at Newcastle University, UK. Currently, he is a research fellow at the University of Sydney focusing on discovery of naturally occurring biologically active small molecules, their mode of action, and their biosynthetic assembly.
Microbes thrive in various ecological niches, ranging from the plant rhizosphere to the human lung, and play a critical role in the environment through the secretion of bioactive secondary metabolites. Such metabolites frequently have important applications in medicine, serving as antibiotics, anticancer agents, and immune modulators. The search for novel biologically active natural products sourced from microbes remains a crucial endeavour, driven by the emergence of new infectious diseases and chemotherapy resistance. In the genomics era, it has become evident that microorganisms have the potential to produce a far greater number of metabolites and potential drugs than previously identified, offering new opportunities for discovering novel chemical scaffolds for drug development. I am interested in the discovery, biosynthesis, function, and mode of action of microbial natural products for therapeutic purposes. For these studies I use a combination of natural products chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry.
Publications
Journals
- Dashti, Y., Errington, J. (2024). Chemistry and biology of specialized metabolites produced by Actinomadura. Natural Product Reports: a journal of current development in bioorganic chemistry, 41, 370-401. [More Information]
- Dashti, Y., Mohammadipanah, F., Zhang, Y., Cerqueira Diaz, P., Vocat, A., Zabala, D., Fage, C., Romero-Canelon, I., Bunk, B., Sproer, C., et al (2024). Discovery and Biosynthesis of Persiathiacins: Unusual Polyglycosylated Thiopeptides Active Against Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis. ACS Infectious Diseases, 10(9), 3378-3391. [More Information]
- Sumang, F., Ward, A., Errington, J., Dashti, Y. (2024). Hibiscus acid and hydroxycitric acid dimethyl esters from Hibiscus flowers induce production of dithiolopyrrolone antibiotics by Streptomyces Strain MBN2-2. Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 14(1), 40. [More Information]
2024
- Dashti, Y., Errington, J. (2024). Chemistry and biology of specialized metabolites produced by Actinomadura. Natural Product Reports: a journal of current development in bioorganic chemistry, 41, 370-401. [More Information]
- Dashti, Y., Mohammadipanah, F., Zhang, Y., Cerqueira Diaz, P., Vocat, A., Zabala, D., Fage, C., Romero-Canelon, I., Bunk, B., Sproer, C., et al (2024). Discovery and Biosynthesis of Persiathiacins: Unusual Polyglycosylated Thiopeptides Active Against Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis. ACS Infectious Diseases, 10(9), 3378-3391. [More Information]
- Sumang, F., Ward, A., Errington, J., Dashti, Y. (2024). Hibiscus acid and hydroxycitric acid dimethyl esters from Hibiscus flowers induce production of dithiolopyrrolone antibiotics by Streptomyces Strain MBN2-2. Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 14(1), 40. [More Information]
2023
- Kawai, Y., Kawai, M., Mackenzie, E., Dashti, Y., Kepplinger, B., Waldron, K., Errington, J. (2023). On the mechanisms of lysis triggered by perturbations of bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. Nature Communications, 14(1), 4123. [More Information]
2022
- Dashti, Y., Tajabadi, F., Wu, L., Sumang, F., Escasinas, A., Ellis Allenby, N., Errington, J. (2022). Discovery of Demurilactone A: A Specific Growth Inhibitor of L‑Form Bacillus subtilis. ACS Infectious Diseases, 8(11), 2253-2258. [More Information]
- Kepplinger, B., Mardiana, L., Cowell, J., Morton-Laing, S., Dashti, Y., Wills, C., Marrs, E., Perry, J., Gray, J., Goodfellow, M., et al (2022). Discovery, isolation, heterologous expression and mode-of-action studies of the antibiotic polyketide tatiomicin from Amycolatopsis sp. DEM30355. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 15579-1-15579-11. [More Information]
- Kepplinger, B., Wen, X., Tyler, A., Kim, B., Brown, J., Banks, P., Dashti, Y., Mackenzie, E., Wills, C., Kawai, Y., et al (2022). Mirubactin C rescues the lethal effect of cell wall biosynthesis mutations in Bacillus subtilis. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13, 1004737-1-1004737-12. [More Information]
2021
- Jones, C., Webster, G., Mullins, A., Jenner, M., Bull, M., Dashti, Y., Spilker, T., Parkhill, J., Connor, T., Lipuma, J., et al (2021). Kill and cure: genomic mapping and bioactivity of Burkholderia gladioli bacteria capable of pathogenic and beneficial lifestyles. Microbial Genomics, 7(1), mgen000515. [More Information]
2020
- Dashti, Y., Nakou, I., Mullins, A., Webster, G., Jian, X., Mahenthiralingam, E., Challis, G. (2020). Discovery and Biosynthesis of Bolagladins: Unusual Lipodepsipeptides from Burkholderia gladioli Clinical Isolates**. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 59.0 (48), 21553-21561. [More Information]
- Nakou, I., Jenner, M., Dashti, Y., Romero-Canelón, I., Masschelein, J., Mahenthiralingam, E., Challis, G. (2020). Genomics-Driven Discovery of a Novel Glutarimide Antibiotic from Burkholderia gladioli Reveals an Unusual Polyketide Synthase Chain Release Mechanism. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 59.0 (51), 23145-23153. [More Information]
- Zabala, D., Song, L., Dashti, Y., Challis, G., Salas, J., Méndez, C. (2020). Heterologous reconstitution of the biosynthesis pathway for 4-demethyl-premithramycinone, the aglycon of antitumor polyketide mithramycin. Microbial Cell Factories, 19.0 (1). [More Information]
2019
- Jenner, M., Jian, X., Dashti, Y., Masschelein, J., Hobson, C., Roberts, D., Jones, C., Harris, S., Parkhill, J., Raja, H., et al (2019). An unusual: Burkholderia gladioli double chain-initiating nonribosomal peptide synthetase assembles 'fungal' icosalide antibiotics. Chemical Science, 10.0 (21), 5489-5494. [More Information]
- Heidarian, S., Mohammadipanah, F., Maghsoudlou, A., Dashti, Y., Challis, G. (2019). Anti-microfouling activity of Glycomyces sediminimaris UTMC 2460 on dominant fouling bacteria of Iran marine habitats. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10.0 (JAN). [More Information]
- Dashti, Y., Hobson, C., Tajabadi, F., Rezadoost, H. (2019). Phytochemical Investigation of Iphiona aucheri. Structural Revision of Donine. Chemistry of Natural Compounds, 55.0 (5), 902-907. [More Information]
2018
- Tajabadi, F., Pouwer, R., Liu, M., Dashti, Y., Campitelli, M., Murtaza, M., Mellick, G., Wood, S., Jenkins, I., Quinn, R. (2018). Design and Synthesis of Natural Product Inspired Libraries Based on the Three-Dimensional (3D) Cedrane Scaffold: Toward the Exploration of 3D Biological Space. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 61.0 (15), 6609-6628. [More Information]
2017
- Dashti, Y., Grkovic, T., Abdelmohsen, U., Hentschel, U., Quinn, R. (2017). Actinomycete Metabolome Induction/Suppression with N-Acetylglucosamine. Journal of Natural Products, 80.0 (4), 828-836. [More Information]
2015
- Dashti, Y., Vial, M., Wood, S., Mellick, G., Roullier, C., Quinn, R. (2015). Kororamide B, a brominated alkaloid from the bryozoan Amathia tortuosa and its effects on Parkinson's disease cells. Tetrahedron, 71.0 (41), 7879-7884. [More Information]
2014
- Salehi, P., Tajabadi, F., Younesi, H., Dashti, Y. (2014). Optimization of lead and nickel biosorption by Cystoseira trinodis (brown algae) using response surface methodology. CLEAN: Soil, Air, Water, 42.0 (3), 243-250. [More Information]
- Dashti, Y., Grkovic, T., Quinn, R. (2014). Predicting natural product value, an exploration of anti-TB drug space. Natural Product Reports: a journal of current development in bioorganic chemistry, 31.0 (8), 990-998. [More Information]
- Dashti, Y., Grkovic, T., Abdelmohsen, U., Hentschel, U., Quinn, R. (2014). Production of induced secondary metabolites by a co-culture of sponge-associated actinomycetes, Actinokineospora sp. EG49 and Nocardiopsis sp. RV163. Marine Drugs, 12.0 (5), 3046-3059. [More Information]
2011
- Salehi, P., Dashti, Y., Tajabadi, F., Safidkon, F., Rabei, R. (2011). Structural and compositional characteristics of a sulfated galactan from the red alga Gracilariopsis persica. Carbohydrate Polymers, 83.0 (4), 1570-1574. [More Information]
Selected Grants
2025
- Discovering functional small molecules produced by pathogenic microbes, Dashti Y, Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases (Sydney ID)/Sydney ID Seed Grants
2024
- SABA Program Funding 2024, Dashti Y, Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation/SABA Discovery Funding