Stimulus-Responsive Agents for Manipulating Cellular Copper

有了这个奖项，生命过程的化学计划正在支持杜克大学的凯瑟琳弗朗茨教授的研究，以开发铜结合剂，改变其对不同刺激的络合铜的能力。铜是大多数生命形式的必需微量营养素，但如果不通过复杂的铜运输蛋白网络进行适当管理，它也可能是有毒的。研究人员将准备两类试剂：那些通过将高亲和力螯合剂转化为具有弱铜亲和力的产品来响应紫外线的试剂，以及相反地，那些响应酶处理将非粘合剂转化为有效的铜螯合剂的试剂。 该提案的智力价值是创造具有互补功能的新化学试剂，以增加或减少生物可利用的铜作为化学生物工具。该项目的更广泛影响是支持研究生，本科生和高中生在跨学科实验室环境中的教育和培训。来自弱势背景的高中生将通过NC项目种子计划招募，而本科生，特别是女性和代表性不足的少数民族学生从学校较少的广泛研究机会，将通过杜克化学REU计划招募。 在过去努力的基础上，Franz团队将致力于指导这些学生，并让他们接触到前沿研究。该奖项由BIO董事会分子和细胞生物科学（MCB）部门的细胞过程集群共同资助。

With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes program is supporting the research of Professor Katherine Franz at Duke University to develop copper binding agents that change their ability to complex copper in response to different stimuli. Copper is an essential micronutrient across most forms of life, but it can also be toxic if not appropriately managed by a complex network of copper trafficking proteins. The researchers will prepare two classes of agents: those that respond to UV light by converting high-affinity chelators into products with weak copper affinity, and conversely those that respond to enzymatic processing to convert non-binders into effective copper sequestering agents. The intellectual merits of the proposal are the creation of new chemical agents with complementary function to increase or decrease bioavailable copper as chemical biological tools.The broader impacts of this project are to support the education and training of graduate, undergraduate, and high school students in an interdisciplinary lab environment. High school students from disadvantaged backgrounds will be recruited through the NC Project SEED program, while undergraduate students, particularly female and underrepresented minority students from schools with less extensive research opportunities, will be recruited through the Duke Chemistry REU program. Building upon past efforts, the Franz group will work to mentor these students and expose them to frontline research.This award is being co-funded by the Cellular Processes Cluster in the Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) Division of the BIO Directorate.