The Chemical Structure, Dynamics and Mechanisms Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports Professor Amelia Fuller of Santa Clara University, for the synthesis and physiochemical analyses of peptoid and extended peptoid polyamides using bound solvatochromic dyes and biarsenical fluorophores. The goals of this research are to understand intramolecular assembly as a function of peptoid structure, and to discover new peptoids with tertiary and quaternary structure. Screening of efficiently synthesized peptoid libraries will lead to rapid evaluation of both inter- and intra molecular association events, allowing facile identification of motifs leading to higher-order structures. Molecules showing interesting association and folding properties will be used for drug discovery studies through a public online database (D3).
Broader impacts of the research include opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved in research in organic synthesis, combinatorial screening methods, and even anti-microbial activity testing in a microbiology laboratory. Professor Fuller has created a unique opportunity at her institution to integrate her research activities directly into both chemistry and biology teaching environments during the academic year. In addition to yearlong research projects, independent summer projects are also planned.
