ABIOLOGICAL SELF-ASSEMBLY

描述(申请人提供)：这项研究的长期目标是开发有效的方法，通过合理的设计来制备形状和尺寸定义良好的复杂的纳米级分子，并提供新的见解和更好地了解识别现象和自组装过程。我们的具体目标是研究和了解自组装3D分子笼的主客体相互作用；制备、表征和探索新型手性3D组装的化学；探索和发展表征纳米级超分子物种的新方法；研究自组装中的自我选择、自我识别和动态现象；研究分级非生物自组装和筛选所有新的自组装超分子系综的生物活性。我们将使用我们最近开发的非生物协调驱动的定向结合方法，结合新的方法和已知的分析工具来实现这些目标。因此，化学家将在概念上拥有新的创新战略，以形成独特的、复杂的分子，从长远来看，这些分子将促进发现和生产用于治疗医学疾病的改进的化学制剂和化疗。此外，从长远来看，这种非生物自组装程序将为制造生物医学纳米设备(用于诊断目的的传感器、新的药物输送系统等)提供手段。以便更好地检测和治疗医疗疾病。同样，合理设计的手性自组装分子笼具有选择性底物转化(酶类催化)的潜力，并作为纳米反应器进行独特的分子转化。自组装是无数生物过程的核心，所有活着的有机体，从最简单的到人类，都依赖于此。蛋白质折叠、核酸组装和三级结构、核糖体、磷脂膜、微管只是自组装的典型例子。从拟议的非生物自组装研究中获得的见解将适用于更好和更完整地了解复杂的、尚未很好了解的生物自组装过程，如蛋白质折叠，这些过程在阿尔茨海默病、克雅氏病和普恩病等退行性疾病中发挥重要作用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long term objectives of this research are to develop efficient methods for the preparation of complex, nanoscale molecules with well defined shapes and sizes, by rational design and to provide new insights and gain a better understanding of recognition phenomena and self-assembly processes. Our specific aims are to investigate and understand host-guest interactions of self-assembled 3D molecular cages; prepare, characterize and explore the chemistry of novel, chiral 3D assemblies; explore and develop new ways of characterizing nanoscale supramolecular species; examine self-selection, self-recognition and dynamic phenomena in self-assembly; investigate hierarchical abiological self-assembly and screen for biological activity all new self-assembled supramolecular ensembles. We will use our recently developed abiological coordination driven, directional bonding approach in combination with new methodology and known analytical tools to achieve these goals. As a consequence, chemists will have conceptually new, innovative strategies for the formation of unique, complex, molecules that, in the long term, will facilitate the discovery and production of improved chemical agents and chemotherapy for the treatments of medical disorders. Moreover, also in the long run, this abiological self-assembly procedure will provide the means for the manufacturing of biomedical nanodevices (sensors for diagnostic purposes, new drug delivery systems, etc.) for the better detection and treatment of medical disorders. Likewise, the rationally designed, chiral, self-assembled molecular cages have the potential for selective substrate transformations (enzyme like catalysis) and to act as nanoreactors for unique molecular transformations. Self-assembly is at the heart of countless biological processes that all living organisms, from the simplest to humans, depend upon. Protein folding, nucleic acid assembly and tertiary structures, ribosomes, phospholipid membranes, microtubules are but representative examples of self-assembly. Insights gained from the proposed abiological self-assembly studies will be applicable to a better and more complete understanding of the complex, not well understood biological self-assembly processes, such as protein folding, that play an important role in such degenerative diseases as Alzheimers, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, and prion diseases.