Well-Defined Protein-Polymer Conjugates Prepared by Controlled Radical Polymerization

本研究项目的重点是开发多种方法，通过将活化的均相聚合物与生物分子结合，并在水溶液中从蛋白质开始控制聚合，从而制备定义良好的聚合物生物偶联物。原子转移自由基聚合的新双功能引发剂将用于制备与特定蛋白质残基反应的单分散聚合物，而改性蛋白质在水溶液中引发的控制聚合将在原位产生生物偶联物。在有机和大分子化学项目的支持下，加州大学洛杉矶分校化学和生物化学系的Heather D. Maynard教授正在开发新方法，以制备具有多肽（蛋白质）的偶联传统聚合物。这种蛋白质-聚合物“偶联物”在纳米结构材料、药物传递、智能材料和治疗中的材料特性和应用，严重依赖于具有定义良好的聚合物和特定的附着点，然而这些是通过传统方法难以实现的。梅纳德教授的研究目标是开发新的方法来合成这种结构和功能明确的共轭物。

This research program focuses on the development of versatile methods for the preparation of well-defined polymer bioconjugates by conjugating activated homogeneous polymers to biomolecules and initiating controlled polymerization from proteins in aqueous solution. New bifunctional initiators for atom transfer radical polymerization will be used to prepare monodisperse polymers that react with specific protein residues, and controlled polymerization initiated by modified proteins in aqueous solution will generate bioconjugates in situ.With the support of the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program, Professor Heather D. Maynard, of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, is developing new methods to prepare couple conventional polymers with polypeptides (proteins). Material properties and applications of such protein-polymer "conjugates" in nanostructured materials, drug delivery, smart materials, and therapeutics are critically dependent on having well-defined polymers and specific points of attachment, yet these are extremely difficult to achieve by conventional means. Professor Maynard's research targets the development of novel new approaches for the synthesis of such structurally and functionally well-defined conjugates.