U.S.-U.K. Cooperative Research: Enzyme Mimics in the Gas Phase

这项为期三年的奖项旨在奖励美英在物理实验化学方面的合作研究，参与者包括匹兹堡大学的David W. Pratt和牛津大学的W.G. Richards和J.P. Simons。他们的研究目的是研究酶催化位点和结合底物的超分子组合，包括超分子组合的结构和性质及其组分之间的相互作用。酶和酶底物模拟，旨在模拟酶，丝氨酸和半胱氨酸蛋白酶的行为，将在实验中使用基于激光的电子光谱和其他技术进行研究。他们还将使用酶模拟物来研究氙在酶催化位点的选择性结合，从而深入了解其在磁共振成像中作为位点特异性染色剂的潜力。这位美国研究者和他的团队为这次合作带来了利用理论技术表征酶结构的专业知识。这是由英国专业知识补充酶模拟制备和表征使用从头算技术。这些研究将提供有关酶功能的分子相互作用的新信息。

This three-year award for US-UK cooperative research in physical experimental chemistry involves David W. Pratt of the University of Pittsburgh and W.G. Richards and J.P. Simons at Oxford University. The objective of their research is to study supramolecule assemblies of enzyme catalytic sites and bound substrates, including structure and properties of the supramolecule assemblies and interaction among its components. Enzyme and enzyme substrate mimics, designed to model the behavior of the enzymes, serine and cysteine proteases, will be studied in experiments using laser-based electronic spectroscopy and other techniques. They will also use the enzyme mimics to investigate selective binding of xenon at enzyme catalytic sites, thereby providing insight into its potential as a site specific stain in magnetic resonance imaging. The US investigator and his group bring to this collaboration expertise in characterization of enzyme structures using theoretical techniques. This is complemented by British expertise in enzyme mimic preparation and characterization using ab initio techniques. These studies will provide new information about molecular interactions which are responsible for enzyme function.