Florida A&M University Professor Using Plants From His Native Ghana for New Medicines

Seth Y. Ablordeppey, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, has received a U.S. patent for a compound that fights a staph infection that is resistant to common antibiotics. He is looking to develop a drug that combats methicillin-resistant straphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Professor Ablordeppey uses plants found in Ghana that have shown antibacterial properties that can heal wounds. He is now conducting research to determine if extracts from these plants are effective in fighting MRSA. Dr. Ablordeppey says, ““We wanted some simple compounds that we can synthesize in a very short period of time and we are looking towards getting compounds which are not that expensive so that people can afford them.”

Dr. Ablordeppey is a native of Ghana. He joined the faculty at Florida A&M University in 1993. He holds a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the University of Mississippi. He previously received patents for drugs that are aimed at helping people with HIV/AIDS.