MPS-Ascend: Development of a Dual Catalytic Fragment Insertion Reaction

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。Skyler Mendoza被授予NSF数学和物理科学提升博士后研究奖学金（NSF MPS-Ascend），以开展与扩大STEM中代表性不足的群体参与相关的研究和活动计划。Mendoza博士获得的这项奖学金支持了一项名为“MPS-Ascend：双催化片段插入反应的开发”的研究项目，该项目由一名赞助科学家指导。该奖学金的主办机构是斯克里普斯研究所，赞助科学家是凯利·恩格尔博士。提出的工作旨在探索片段插入/删除的概念，也被称为“分子编辑”。该反应将把简单的、易于获取的1,3-二烯转化为难以获取的高附加值的1,4-二烯产品。这项工作的成功实施将导致建立一种概念上不同的获取被跳过的二烯产品的方法。PI将通过与加州大学圣地亚哥分校西班牙裔专业工程师协会（SHPE）的合作，优先为历来被排除在有机化学领域之外的年轻科学家提供社区服务。这项合作的成功实施将导致在斯克里普斯研究所创建一个“MentorSHPE”项目。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Skyler Mendoza is awarded a NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (NSF MPS-Ascend) to conduct a program of research and activities related to broaden participation by groups underrepresented in STEM. This fellowship to Dr. Mendoza supports the research project entitled " MPS-Ascend: Development of a Dual Catalytic Fragment Insertion Reaction", under the mentorship of a sponsoring scientist. The host institution for the fellowship is the Scripps Research Institute, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Keary Engle. The proposed work intends to explore the concept of fragment insertion/deletion, also referred to as “molecular editing”. This reaction would take simple, easy-to-access 1,3-dienes and convert them into otherwise difficult to access value-added 1,4-diene products. Successful implementation of the work will result in the establishment of a conceptually distinct method for accessing skipped diene products. The PI will prioritize community outreach for young scientists historically excluded from the field of organic chemistry through a collaboration with the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) at the University of California San Diego. Successful implementation of this collaboration will result in the creation of a “MentorSHPE” program at the Scripps Research Institute.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.