Welcome to Dr. Fritzler's Website

My current major research interests focus on the evaluation of naturally produced plant secondary metabolites as potential chemotherapeutic agents against different groups of pathogens. Literature clearly indicates that plant-based natural products have proven to be an important base for drug discovery and development. Of the FDA-approved anti-infectious drugs, approximately 75% are of natural origin. However, less than 5% of the world's flora (>310,000 species) have been extensively investigated for medicinal uses. As a current key investigator with the National Center for Pharmaceutical Crops (NCPC) and in conjunction with my current appointment in the Department of Microbiology, my lab has been responsible for several studies examining the effects of natural compounds against various pathogens. Some of these include organisms such as Cryptosporidium parvum, Influenza A, Subtype H1N1, bacterial causes of sexually transmitted diseases, and multi-drug resistant pathogens commonly involved in wound infections.