The Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program supports Professor Paul B. Jones at Wake Forest University (WFU) who seeks to discover chemistry capable of photochemically generating bioactive molecules under either anaerobic or aerobic conditions. Current photodynamic therapy (PDT) relies on the generation of singlet oxygen and, therefore, is of limited use in hypoxic tissues. Many tumors are either intrinsically hypoxic or become so after extensive chemo- or photodynamic therapy. Though the chemistry presented is not likely to produce a therapeutically useful PDT agent, the project should provide a foundation for such a development. At the conclusion of the project, new chemistry to photochemically generate bioactive molecules under anaerobic conditions and new, synthetically useful, photochemical reactions will be available.
The Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program supports Professor Paul B. Jones whose work will examine the photoreactivity of caged aldehydes. One of Professor Jones' outreach activities involves being the faculty advisor for the WFU chapter of the ACS-Student Affiliates. This group sponsors an annual regional ACS Meeting in Miniature, provides tutors to WFU chemistry students, and performs outreach to local schools in the form of organized chemistry workshops aimed at elementary school-aged children.
