The present disclosure relates to novel compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods for treating or preventing microbial infection caused by parasites or bacteria, such as Plasmodium falciparum or related Plasmodium parasite species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis or related Mycobacterium bacteria species. The compounds are α,β-unsaturated analogs of fosmidomycin and can inhibit deoxyxylulose phosphate reductoisomerase (Dxr) in many microbes, such as P. falciparum.