With this renewal award the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program supports the work of Dr. James S. Nowick of the Department of Chemistry of the University of California at Irvine. The research aims to extend earlier work on artificial protein structures by: 1) preparing larger oligourea scaffolds that hold four or more peptide strands together and cause b-sheet formation, 2) including longer (penta- and hepta-) peptides in the strands, 3) creating larger b-sheet structures, 4) incorporating hairpin nucleators that will permit antiparallel sheet formation, and 5) creating b-sheet sandwiches using a new type of template that will position two b-sheets in a face-to-face orientation. The work will also develop improved molecular modeling parameters, and extend b-sheet structure formation from chloroform to water solutions.
The proposed research involves the design and synthesis of protein mimics formed by joining peptides (short sequences of linked aminoacids) into controlled structures by the use of molecular scaffolds. It will improve our understanding of how proteins fold, and could lead to the synthesis of new materials and artificial enzymes capable of carrying out desired reactions. The students involved in the work will develop skills in the areas of protein synthesis and characterization, and will learn how to develop chemical systems in a logical, stepwise manner.
