Presenter
Christian Schafmeister, Temple University
His research interests are in the areas of chemical biology and nanoscience. He is the recipient of the Cottrell Scholar Award, the Research Corporation, Research Innovation Award, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award, and the 2005 Feynman Prize for Experimental Nanotechnology...
Summary:
Spiroligomers are a powerful platform technology that enables the creation of artificially-designed, large molecules with diverse applications. These molecules can be used as therapeutics by binding to specific proteins, as catalysts that convert inexpensive raw materials into high-value products, and ultimately as the building blocks of molecular machines. In this discussion, I will provide an overview of the underlying technology and highlight several examples of its use. I will demonstrate how spiroligomers are being developed to replace monoclonal antibodies in diagnostic tests, and how they can be utilized to create highly-efficient catalysts. Lastly, I will delve into the potential of spiroligomers to create complex molecular machines.
Challenges:
Development of catalysts that create bis-amino acid building blocks to make the technology self-replicating.
