CAREER: Determining the Role of Metal Coordination in Selenium Antioxidant Activity. An Interdisciplinary Approach to Chemical Biology Education and Research

该奖项由无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目颁发给克莱姆森大学的Julia L. Brumaghim教授，旨在通过合成和表征硒酸铁和铜络合物来支持硒的配位化学研究。目前对硒抗氧化活性的了解主要集中在过氧化氢的分解上，过氧化氢是一种相对惰性的氧。Brumaghim小组最近发现了一种新的硒抗氧化活性机制，该机制需要金属配位，并以产生极具破坏性的氧自由基的金属离子为目标。为了确认、研究和理解这一新机制，他们将与生命系统中最常见的金属：铁和铜合成一系列硒和硫配合物并对其进行表征。他们还将研究铜配合物与氧的反应性。这项工作将阐明设计硒药物和补充剂的新原则，以更有效地治疗和预防由氧化损伤引起的疾病，如心血管和神经退行性疾病以及癌症。除了这些研究目标之外，综合教育目标还将更新克莱姆森大学的化学课程，包括本科和研究生阶段的化学生物学和生物无机化学专业。Brumaghim教授将继续参与南卡罗来纳DNA学习中心的工作，该中心为K-12学生和他们的老师提供外展活动，重点是在高中课程中了解DNA和基因组学。这项跨学科工作的研究和教育目标都将为本科生和研究生提供学习配位和生物化学的绝佳机会，以保持化学研究的动态特征。

This award by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program to Professor Julia L. Brumaghim of Clemson University is to support the examination of the coordination chemistry of selenium by synthesizing and characterizing iron and copper selenolate complexes. Current understanding of selenium antioxidant activity focuses on the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, a relatively inert oxygen species. The Brumaghim group has recently discovered a novel mechanism for selenium antioxidant activity that requires metal coordination, and targets the metal ions which produce extremely damaging oxygen radicals. In order to confirm, study, and understand this new mechanism, they will synthesize and characterize a range of selenium and sulfur complexes with the most common metals in living systems: iron and copper. They will also examine the reactivity of the copper complexes with oxygen species. This work will elucidate new principles for the design of selenium drugs and supplements to more effectively treat and prevent diseases caused by oxidative damage, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. In addition to these research goals, the integrated educational goals will update the chemistry curriculum at Clemson University to include a specialization in chemical biology and bioinorganic chemistry at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Professor Brumaghim will continue her involvement with the South Carolina DNA Learning Center where outreach activities for K-12 students and their teachers focus on the understanding of DNA and genomics in the high school curriculum. Both the research and educational aims of this interdisciplinary work will provide outstanding opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to learn coordination and biological chemistry, in keeping with the dynamic character of chemical research.