Chemical mimics of bioactive protein surfaces (2006-2011)
Abstract
Proteins are the key functional components that define life, ageing, disease and death. Their uses in medicine, science and industry are extremely limited by their complexity, high costs, chemical instability and low bioavailability. This program will develop new chemical technology for creating simpler, smaller, cheaper, more stable and more bioavailable molecules that can execute selected functions of proteins. The approach involves devising stable new molecular shapes to mimic structural components of proteins (helices, turns, strands, and combinations), and using them as tools to interrogate biological systems and to explore prospective applications as new pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, vaccines, and nanomaterials.
