CAREER: Controlling Biological Effectors with Light

有机和大分子化学项目支持乔治亚大学化学系Timothy Dore教授的一项研究项目，该项目旨在开发新的光化学技术来研究生物功能。光敏有机分子将被设计、合成并附着在生物效应器（如神经递质、激素、DNA、RNA或其他生物活性信使）上，以使效应器失活或“笼”起来，直到闪光释放或“松开”它的生物活性形式。如果光源是脉冲红外激光和多光子激发（MPE，一种特殊的非线性光学过程）发生，那么可以仔细控制效应释放的时间和位置，从而允许研究生物重要事件的时间和空间要求。许多生理过程的结果往往取决于事件发生的时间和直接的局部环境。开发的技术将用于调节蛋白质合成，控制基因表达和工程细胞表面，以研究各种生物过程。该教育计划旨在弥合本科和研究生理科课程之间的差距，揭开博士教育过程的神秘面纱，从而鼓励本科理科专业的学生攻读博士学位。一系列针对本科生和研究生的研讨会和多媒体节目将突出博士学位获得者令人兴奋的职业道路，并为他们提供导航这一过程的实用信息。在有机和大分子化学计划的支持下，多雷教授将展示这项工作的广泛影响在于其多学科性质，并专注于发展科学人力资源。这项研究将使研究细胞功能的侵入性更小的方法成为可能，并影响细胞和发育生物学、遗传学、神经科学、显微镜、生物化学和生物技术等子领域的生物学学科。该研究是培养学生成为对光化学和有机化学有深入理解和广泛科学知识的杰出学者的良好媒介。博士教育项目针对的是科学界代表性不足的群体，旨在提高他们在研究生项目中取得成功的机会。他们还旨在增加从事科学和科学相关领域职业的学生人数，帮助满足国家对科学人力资源的需求。

The Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program support Professor Timothy Dore of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Georgia in a research program that seeks to develop new photochemical technology to study biological function. Light sensitive organic molecules will be designed, synthesized, and attached to biological effectors (such as a neurotransmitter, hormone, DNA, RNA, or other bioactive messenger) in order to inactivate or "cage" the effector until a flash of light releases or "uncages" it in its biologically active form. If the light source is a pulsed IR laser and multiphoton excitation (MPE, a special non-linear optical process) occurs, then the timing and location of the effector release can be carefully controlled, allowing the study of temporal and spatial requirements for biologically important events. The outcome of many physiological processes often depends on the timing of the event and the immediate local environment. The technology developed will be used to regulate protein synthesis, control gene expression, and engineer cell surfaces in order to study a variety of biological processes. The educational plan aims to bridge the gap between undergraduate and graduate science programs, demystifying the process of doctoral education, and thereby encourage undergraduate science majors to pursue a Ph.D. A series of seminars and multimedia programs for undergraduate and new graduate students will highlight the exciting career paths of doctorate recipients and provide them with practical information for navigating the process. With the support of the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program, Professor Dore will demonstrate that the broader impacts of this work lie in its multidisciplinary nature and focus on developing human resources in science. The research will enable less invasive methods of studying cellular function and impact biological disciplines in the sub-areas of cell and developmental biology, genetics, neuroscience, microscopy, biochemistry, and biotechnology. The research is an excellent medium to train students to become outstanding scholars with a depth of understanding of photo- and organic chemistry and a breadth of scientific knowledge. The programs on doctoral education are targeted at underrepresented groups in science, seeking to improve their chances of success in graduate programs. They also aim to increase the number of students who pursue careers in science and science-related areas, helping to fulfill a national need for human resources in the sciences.