Graduate
Chemical Biology > Faculty >
Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Chemistry and Chemical Biology: Chemical Diversity,
Natural Product Mode of Action, and Organic Synthesis
A solid grounding in the principles of modern chemistry
is essential for any multidisciplinary training at the chemistry-biology
interface. Therefore, the first research theme focuses on the fundamentals
of organic synthesis, the use of chemical and biological diversity
in the design and isolation of novel biological tools and the development
of natural products as molecular probes of cell biology. The five
laboratories listed below take strong multidisciplinary approaches
to each of these three areas.
Craig
Crews (MCDB) explores
novel mechanisms in cell biology using a combination of chemical
and biochemical approaches. This strategy has been referred to as “chemical genetics”, whereby biologically active natural
products are used as molecular proves for the exploration of cell
biology.
Glenn
Micalizio (Chemistry) focuses on the development of
new synthetic methods and the application of those methods to the
synthetic preparation of biologically active natural products and
derivatives. Of particular interest is the design of new reactions
and strategies that allow for the simultaneous generation of molecular
complexity and structural diversity. The synthetic technology, in
combination with a suitable screen, will provide a strategy to enable
the evolution of natural product and natural product-like small
molecule modulators of protein function. In addition to methods
development projects, current natural product interests include
ingenol, gambierol, salinosporamide and galiellalactone.
Scott Miller (Chemistry)
studies complex molecule synthesis as one of the key disciplines of modern chemical research. The development of new methods for the synthesis and derivatization of such structures is a multi-dimensional activity involving reaction design, development and application. Research in our group focuses on each of these aspects of chemical synthesis. Utilizing the architecture and design principles presented by biologically relevant structures and processes, we seek to discover new reactions and to apply new principles to the selective synthesis of complex molecules.
David Spiegel (Chemistry) develops novel chemical methods to enable the synthesis of a variety of complex molecular targets, including natural products. However, unlike traditional synthetic research programs, these synthetic materials will be used to study the molecular mechanisms that underlie human disease processes (e.g., cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes) as well as to develop novel therapeutic approaches to these conditions.
Ann Valentine (Chemistry) studies the post-synthetic modification of newly synthesized aromatic polyketide antibiotics by metalloproteins using a variety of bioinorganic, synthetic and biochemical approaches.
|
