Carbohydrates, enzymes and natural products

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The Jakeman discovery grant program will make fundamental scientific discoveries in biological chemistry. These discoveries will have a significant impact on understanding the mechanisms of enzymes, Nature’s predominant catalysts. It focuses upon enzymes that catalyze reactions of ubiquitous importance within the natural sciences. It will provide insight into new ways to inhibit specific enzyme classes or to generate greater substrate specificity. Some of these enzymes are responsible for the production of secondary metabolites, small molecules that have unprecedented capacity to interact with the natural world. Many have been harvested and developed as drugs or technological tools. Our studies on the enzymes include paradigm shifting methods to rationally alter the structures, and hence confer different physicochemical properties on natural products.