Research Overview

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​​Fields of Research:

Supramolecular chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, self-assembling nanomaterials

a) design and synthesis of host-guest systems for applications in aqueous solvents: e.g. peptide recognition, receptors for carbohydrates, anion sensing (organic synthesis, combinatorial chemistry, solid phase peptide synthesis);

b) quantitative thermodynamic studies of indiviual interactions within supramolecular host-guest systems using "knock-out" analogues (isothermal microcalorimetry, nmr, UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy);

c) peptides and proteins with non-natural amino acids, chaing the properties and functions of peptides (organic synthesis, solid phase synthesis, conformational analysis, CD spectroscopy),

d) chemical ligands for protein surface recognition, new methods for inhibting enzymes, modulating protein-protein interactions (combinatorial chemistry, enzyme assays, kinetic studies, synthesis of labelled inhibitors, binding studies, ITC, microbiological testing);

e) artificial gene transfection vectors, using peptides with tailor-made supramolecular binding sites for the development of new gene transfection vectors (organic synthesis, DNA bining studies, cell studies)

f) supramolecular polymers and gels (atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, light scattering, small angle neutron scattering);

g) self-assembling zwitterions as building blocks for switchable nanomaterials (atomic force microscopy, light scattering, electron microscopy)