Catarina Bourgard

Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), University of Gothenburg

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About

Catarina Bourgard is a researcher specializing in molecular biology, drug discovery, and the development of innovative experimental platforms for identifying novel therapeutic agents against infectious diseases. Her work focuses on leveraging yeast-based genetic systems as powerful tools for screening potential inhibitors targeting critical proteins in pathogenic organisms. Bourgard's most notable contributions include pioneering target-based yeast platforms designed to identify inhibitors of disease-relevant enzymes. Her 2024 study introduced a sophisticated screening system targeting *Plasmodium vivax* deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS), an enzyme essential for the post-translational modification producing hypusine — a unique amino acid critical to eukaryotic translation factor eIF5A — offering a promising avenue for antimalarial drug development. Equally significant is her 2021 work establishing a yeast-based genetic trap for screening inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, contributing to the urgent global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding the toolkit of antiviral discovery strategies. Though early in citation accumulation, Bourgard's research addresses high-priority global health challenges, bridging fundamental molecular biology with applied drug discovery. Her creative use of yeast genetics as a translational research tool positions her as an emerging voice in the field of infectious disease therapeutics and experimental pharmacology.