PI: Miller Institution: Boston College
Professor Miller's research seeks to apply and extend discoveries about how enzymes catalyze chemical reactions by synthesizing "minimal" enzyme-like catalysts. This approach may provide insight into the specific elements required for effective asymmetric catalysis, and practical catalysts are sought for several applications. These include synthetic acylases, aldolases and "Diels-Alderases," as well as catalysts for the Baylis-Hillman reaction. Solid-state peptide synthesis will facilitate the preparation and screening of potential catalysts. Professor Miller's teaching program has as its ultimate goal a "cradle to grave" program of scientific education. More specifically, this will involve "outreach" to secondary schools, curricular reform of the sophomore organic chemistry course, a commitment to undergraduate participation in research, and the promotion of graduate students as teacher-scholars in training.
With this CAREER award, the Synthetic Organic Program supports the research and teaching efforts of Dr. Scott J. Miller of Boston College. Professor Miller creates small artificial enzymes that are capable of promoting several chemical reactions that are important in the synthesis of complex organic molecules. It will also be important to better understand how these small pseudoenzymes work because this knowledge can then be passed along to the study of larger enzymes that work in living organisms. Professor Miller's teaching stresses the ongoing, life-long nature of the scientific enterprise, and his teaching activities are aimed at promoting this view among high-school, college, and graduate students.
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