Template Effects and Self-replicating Systems

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This grant from the Organic Dynamics Program supports the continuing work of Professor Julius Rebek, Jr. at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Systems designed to precisely fix the positions of molecules in space in order to control their reactivity with neighboring molecules will be studied. In particular, a previously reported self-replicating system will be examined in greater detail. An imide-ester that can bind adenine, but not undergo internal acylation, will be used to shut down the intramolecular base pair components and promote exponential growth. More lipophilic and soluble Kemp triacid imides will also be used so that the concentrations can be increased. Proximity complexation in order to enhance the rate of amide formation between two nucleic acid components will also be examined. %%% Self-replicating reactions in which the product acts as a template for its own formation will be studied. Such systems stand at the interface of chemistry and biology, and provide models for selection, competition and mutation; the essential components of chemical evolution. The synthesis of efficient replicators and the design of nucleic acid-like templates for the synthesis of peptide sequences will be undertaken. These new molecules are expected to offer a link between today's biological structures and their prebiotic counterparts.