Collaborative Research: Understanding the Molecular Recognition Behavior of Hollow Helices

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The Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry is supporting Professor Bing Gong of the State University of New York at Buffalo and Dr. Daniel P. Miller of the Hofstra University to synthesize a series of “host” molecules and investigate their affinity for binding and recognition of sugar molecules. This research aims to gain a better understanding of the factors that will lead to specific interactions with different carbohydrates in order to provide guiding principles for future design of sugar receptors and sensors. This collaborative project integrates experiments with theoretical studies and provides a great platform for research training of undergraduate and graduate students, including students of underrepresented groups. The research results will be incorporated into teaching and broadly disseminated to the scientific community. The host molecules are aromatic oligoamide foldamers with tunable lengths. The oligoamides fold into helical coil structures with multiple hydrogen bond acceptors being directed toward the nanosized hollow core. When embedded in a lipid bilayer membrane in aqueous solution, the helical coils stack to create channels through which ions and small molecules flow from one side of the membrane to the other side. With the numerous H-bonding sites, different sugars and sugar alcohols are expected to interact with the inner pore of the helical coil with different affinities. Such interaction, being dynamic and transient, especially in water, will perturb the ion currents through the transmembrane pores. This research team will (1) optimize the synthesis of the oligoamides, (2) perform one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic studies and X-ray crystallographic structural analysis to interrogate the interactions between the host and specific carbohydrates to include monosaccharides, disaccharides, and higher oligosaccharides; (3) examine the effects of various carbohydrate guests on the transmembrane ion currents through the helical pores; and (4) carry out computational studies to optimize host-guest binding and to probe the effect carbohydrate guests have on transmembrane ion flows through the helical pores.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.