CAREER: Infrared Spectroscopy of Synthetic and Semisynthetic Polypeptides

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Professor Sean Decatur of Mount Holyoke College is funded through a CAREER grant in the Experimental Physical Chemistry program. He will study the fundamental infrared spectroscopic properties of peptides by the use of isotopically substituted synthetic peptides. Measurements include infrared absorption and vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy. The thermodynamics and kinetics of the helix-coil transition of peptides will be studied at a level previously not possible using the isotopically substituted compounds. Some synthetic strategies for the peptides are also the aim of this research. The work will be of use in protein folding problems. Professor Decatur's teaching efforts are focused on mentoring undergraduates in research, designing a new advanced chemistry laboratory course and conducting a new course on biotechnology and ethics. Understanding the structures of proteins and how they fold into their native forms is a key goal in biophysics at present. One experimental approach is to study peptides and their folding in real time using infrared light as a measurement technique. However, the interaction of infrared light and peptides is not fully understood, and this work will fill in important gaps in the interpretation of a large amount of infrared data already in the literature. The work will allow scientists to better ascertain protein structures, and to develop peptide and protein therapeutics. Professor Decatur's education plan will serve both chemistry majors and nonmajors, and will have impact on promoting women in scientific fields.