U.S.-Australia Cooperative Research: Stereoselectivity in Metalloprotein Electron Transfer

该奖项将支持威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校的John R. Pladziewicz博士和澳大利亚国立大学（ANU）的Alan Sargeson博士的合作研究。本研究旨在探讨金属蛋白的电子转移反应在多大程度上依赖于其他反应物的三维结构。将比较金属蛋白与光学异构体反应时的电子转移速率，光学异构体是指含有相同原子的分子，它们以相同的方式连接，但它们的三维结构不同，因此它们是不可重叠的镜像。该项目的结果将解释许多生物电子转移反应所表现出的选择性，并促进对生物电子转移的立体化学控制的理解。该项目代表了美国和澳大利亚研究人员之间的卓越合作。在澳大利亚国立大学的实验室里，有专门知识和设备来合成某些对该项目至关重要的新型金属蛋白。这与Pladziewicz博士在金属蛋白电子转移研究方面的专业知识相结合，代表了知识和技能的结合，使这一化学研究取得进展，这是任何一个实验室都无法单独实现的。这是金属蛋白电子转移立体化学控制的重要基础工作，也具有开发葡萄糖和尿素等分子生物传感器的潜力。

This award will support collaborative research between Dr. John R. Pladziewicz of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and Dr. Alan Sargeson at the Australian National University (ANU). This research is to investigate the extent to which electron-transfer reactions of metalloproteins depend on the three-dimensional structure of other reactants. Rates of electron transfer will be compared for metallo- proteins reacting with optical isomers, i.e., molecules which contain the same atoms connected in the same way, but which differ in their three-dimensional structure so that they are non-superimposable mirror images. The results of the project will explain the selectivity exhibited by many biological electron-transfer reactions and advance understanding of stereochemical control of biological electron transfer. The project represents excellent collaboration between the U.S. and Australian researchers.The expertise and equipment for synthesizing certain novel metalloproteins essential to the project are available in the ANU laboratory. This, combined with Dr. Pladziewicz's expertise in metalloprotein electron transfer studies, represents a combination of knowledge and skills for making progress on this chemistry not achievable by either laboratory separately. This is important fundamental work in stereochemical control of metalloprotein electron transfer, as well as having potential for developing biological sensors of molecules such as glucose and urea.