U.S.-Australia Cooperative Research: Stereoselectivity in Metalloprotein Electron Transfer

该奖项将支持威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校的John R.Pladziewicz博士和澳大利亚国立大学(ANU)的Alan Sargeson博士之间的合作研究。这项研究旨在研究金属蛋白的电子转移反应在多大程度上依赖于其他反应物的三维结构。将比较金属蛋白质与光学异构体反应的电子转移速率，光学异构体是指包含以相同方式连接的相同原子的分子，但其三维结构不同，因此它们是不可重叠的镜像。该项目的结果将解释许多生物电子转移反应所表现出的选择性，并增进对生物电子转移立体化学控制的理解。该项目代表了美国和澳大利亚研究人员之间的良好合作。ANU实验室提供了合成对该项目至关重要的某些新型金属蛋白的专业知识和设备。这与Pladziewicz博士在金属蛋白电子转移研究方面的专业知识相结合，代表了在这一化学方面取得进展的知识和技能的结合，这是任何一个实验室都无法单独实现的。这是金属蛋白电子转移立体化学控制的重要基础工作，也是开发葡萄糖和尿素等分子生物传感器的重要基础工作。

This award will support collaborative research between Dr. John R. Pladziewicz of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and Dr. Alan Sargeson at the Australian National University (ANU). This research is to investigate the extent to which electron-transfer reactions of metalloproteins depend on the three-dimensional structure of other reactants. Rates of electron transfer will be compared for metallo- proteins reacting with optical isomers, i.e., molecules which contain the same atoms connected in the same way, but which differ in their three-dimensional structure so that they are non-superimposable mirror images. The results of the project will explain the selectivity exhibited by many biological electron-transfer reactions and advance understanding of stereochemical control of biological electron transfer. The project represents excellent collaboration between the U.S. and Australian researchers.The expertise and equipment for synthesizing certain novel metalloproteins essential to the project are available in the ANU laboratory. This, combined with Dr. Pladziewicz's expertise in metalloprotein electron transfer studies, represents a combination of knowledge and skills for making progress on this chemistry not achievable by either laboratory separately. This is important fundamental work in stereochemical control of metalloprotein electron transfer, as well as having potential for developing biological sensors of molecules such as glucose and urea.