Research efforts in my laboratory are concerned with the chemistry and biology of nucleosides, nucleotides, nucleic acids and related compounds with particular emphasis on the discovery of novel molecules of antiviral and anticancer therapeutic interest. Application of molecular recognition concepts to viral genes and enzymes form the basis for our drug design work. Chemoenzymatic methods are utilized for the synthesis of new inhibitors targeted at DNA and RNA viruses including retroviruses such as HIV. Interdisciplinary antiviral studies are performed through national and international collaborative arrangements. One example of success in our quest for new antiviral molecules is the discovery of highly potent inhibitors of HIV retroviral integrase. This viral enzyme is involved in the incorporation of viral DNA into human chromosomal DNA, the most devastating step in the attack of human cells by HIV. Our interdisciplinary research work in this area is currently in the pre-clinical stage as these compounds exhibit potent anti-HIV activity. Work also continues in our laboratory on antitviral drug discovery targeted against infectious diseases caused by RNA viruses. A recent discovery is of a compound with significant activity against dengue virus. This arthropod-borne viral infection poses a serious global health problem.