Biography

Ernesto Abel-Santos’ research combines the areas of organic chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology. In his lab, Abel-Santos works with bacterial spores, including anthrax and the hospital infection, Clostridium difficile (C-diff). He also is part of a collaborative research group looking at bacteria that affects chickens and honeybees. 

Abel-Santos developed new techniques for evaluating mechanisms of Bacillus and Clostridium spore germination. He also investigates new methods to control anthrax infections, which are resistant to most antiseptic and antibiotic treatments. He has developed nucleoside inhibitors against anthrax spore germination.

He is the co-founder of Able Therapeutics LLC, a start up company that is researching, developing, and commercializing the first and only preventative medicine for treating Clostridium difficile, one of the fastest growing epidemics in the U.S. C-diff spores can be contracted anytime a patient is in a hospital, nursing home, surgery center, or other similar facility.