With this CAREER award the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program supports the work of Dr. Todd L. Lowary of the Department of Chemistry at Ohio State University. The research aims both to develop synthetic routes to oligosaccharides composed of arabinofuranose residues, and to improve our understanding of the solution conformation of these molecules, using a combination of NMR experiments and molecular mechanics computations. This work may lead to novel antibiotics for the treatment of tuberculosis. The pathogen which causes the disease, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has aribinofuranosides in its cell wall.The educational part of the work will include: 1) increasing the carbohydrate content of the introductory organic chemistry course and developing a new graduate course, 2) using the internet as a teaching resource, including interactive tutorials, and 3) providing a more supportive educational environment through the Undergraduate Chemistry Club. Students participating in this research will gain valuable skills in the areas of synthesis, structural characterization, and molecular mechanics computations.
