CAREER: BIOCATALYTIC SYNTHESIS OF ENANTIOENRICHED NITROGEN-CONTAINING HETEROCYCLES

通过这一职业奖项，化学系的生命过程化学项目和化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统系的细胞和生化工程项目将资助普林斯顿大学化学系的Todd Hyster教授。本研究开发了基于酶修饰的新型杂环合成催化剂，即生物催化剂。芳香杂环是农用化学品和医药的重要组成部分.利用环境友好型生物催化剂制备和修饰芳香族杂环化合物的策略还不够成熟。海斯特教授的实验室使用光和酶来开发产生杂环的新的生物催化反应。因此，从事研究的学生获得了对各种科学和工程职业至关重要的工作技能。与这项研究相一致，海斯特实验室开展了一系列外展活动，以扩大公众对生物催化在日常生活中的作用的认识。酶是很有吸引力的化学合成催化剂，因为它们可以进行调节，以提供无与伦比的效率和选择性，即使是最具挑战性的有机反应。然而，生物催化剂的使用已被归因于在自然界中发现的反应。本项目的目标是开发用于选择性合成新型含氮杂环的新型生物催化剂。这是通过开发酶策略来实现的，该策略影响杂环的氧化还原性质，以促进单电子转移反应。基础研究是为了阐明酶是如何激活杂环进行电子转移和控制后续转化的立体化学结果的。该教育计划侧重于面向广泛人群的外展活动，从K-12学生到大学生以及广大公众。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With this CAREER award, The Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division and the Cellular and Biochemical Engineering Program in the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport System Division are funding Professor Todd Hyster in the Department of Chemistry at Princeton University. This research develops new catalysts based on the modification of enzymes, i.e. biocatalysts, for the synthesis of heterocycles. Aromatic heterocycles are and important component of agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Strategies to prepare and modify aromatic heterocycles using environmentally-friendly biocatalysts are underdeveloped. Professor Hyster's laboratory uses light and enzymes to develop new biocatalytic reactions that produce heterocycles. Consequently, the students who undertake the research acquire work skills that are essential for a variety of science and engineering careers. In concert with this research, the Hyster lab engages in a series of outreach activities to expand the public's awareness of the role of biocatalysis in daily lives. Enzymes are attractive catalysts for chemical synthesis because they can be tuned to provide unparalleled levels of efficiency and selectivity for even the most challenging organic reactions. However, the use of biocatalysts has been relegated to reactions found in nature. The goal of this project is to develop novel biocatalysts for the selective synthesis of novel, nitrogen-containing heterocycles. This is achieved by developing enzymatic strategies that affect the redox properties of the heterocycle to facilitate single electron transfer reactions. Fundamental studies are conducted to elucidate how the enzymes activate the heterocycle for electron transfer and control the stereochemical outcome of subsequent transformations. The education plan focuses on outreach events that target a broad range of people, from K-12 students to college students and to the public at large.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.