CAREER: Photoactivatable atomic oxygen precursors for the rapid, selective oxidation of biological thiols to sulfenic acids

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With support of this CAREER award from the Chemical Structure, Dynamics, and Mechanisms B and Chemistry of Life Processes Programs, Professor Ryan McCulla of Saint Louis University will explore the reactivity of atomic oxygen with biomolecules and the resulting transient oxidation products. Initial studies have indicated that atomic oxygen is a more selective oxidant than other reactive oxygen species. This selectivity combined with the photochemical release of atomic oxygen allows the study of reactive intermediates that would otherwise be difficult to characterize. In particular, the chemistry of sulfenic acids in physiologically relevant conditions will be investigated by utilizing photo-activatable atomic oxygen precursors and computational methods. Sulfenic acids are often putative intermediates in redox-controlled processes within cells. Unless specifically stabilized, simple sulfenic acid cannot be isolated, which makes studying their reactivity challenging. A complementary educational program that integrates computational chemistry with guided inquiry method will also be developed. The use of computational methods allows students to rapidly generate data, which allows students to use their creativity while exploring chemical concepts. The effectiveness of this program will be assessed by implementing a short course in local high schools, which are largely populated by groups underrepresented in science. In addition to improved understanding of chemical concepts, this program seeks to inspire students to pursue careers in science by exposing them to the role creativity plays in scientific discovery.