Fluorescent Chemical Sensors for Bioactive Lipids

化学系的大分子、超分子和纳米化学计划支持密苏里大学的Timothy Glass教授的一个项目，该项目专注于为各种生物重要脂质设计和制备荧光传感器和接收器。这些传感器是由管状疏水受体分子合成的，这些受体分子通过形状选择性相互作用选择性地识别某些脂质。大环“封闭管”和非大环“开放管”都在探索之中。因为大多数脂类被嵌入在膜或脂室中，所以受体被设计成从膜中提取脂类。引入头基团结合单元是该项目的一个中心重点。这项工作为解决脂肪识别中的许多不同问题奠定了基础。在脂质识别和传感方面的基础工作最终可能导致有选择地在人类体内检测此类脂质的能力。例如，这种分析可以用来测试已发现与动脉粥样硬化有关的氧化磷脂，或已知在癌细胞表面过度产生的某些糖脂。此外，参与这个项目的学生不仅接受了新化合物的设计和合成方面的培训，而且更广泛地接受了从化学角度处理生物问题的方法的培训。

The Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division supports Professor Timothy Glass of the University of Missouri on a project focusing on the design and preparation of fluorescent sensors and receptors for various classes of biologically important lipids. These sensors are synthesized from tube-like hydrophobic receptor molecules that selectively recognize certain lipids by shape-selective interactions. Both macrocyclic 'closed tubes' and non-macrocyclic 'open tubes' are being explored. Because most lipids are embedded in a membrane or lipid compartment, the receptors are designed to extract the lipids from the membrane. The introduction of head-group binding units is a central focus of this project. This work lays a foundation for approaching many different problems in lipid recognition. Fundamental work on lipid recognition and sensing may eventually lead to the ability to selectively detect such lipids in humans. For example, such analyses can be used to test for oxidized phospholipids which have been found to be involved in atherosclerosis; or certain glycolipids which are know to be overproduced on the surface of cancerous cells. Moreover, students involved with this project are trained not only in the design and synthesis of novel compounds, but more broadly in methods of approaching biological problems from a chemical perspective.