Mapping C-C nucleoside bond formation in real time

我们已经开始研究一种重要的新型酶，它能在两个碳原子之间形成键。碳碳键的形成既是生命最基本的化学，也是酶化学的中心支柱。能够使用一种酶来形成这种键，将使制造新药成为可能。我们的目标是所谓的C-核苷。这些分子诱骗细菌和病毒使用它们，而不是天然的N-核苷。由于使用这些分子，病毒和细菌被杀死。碳碳键是这些分子的绝对关键，它阻止细菌和病毒降解化合物。这些C-核苷是自然界使用的，但它们很难制造，因此需要酶等新方法来制造它们。我们正在研究的系统也很有吸引力，因为我们可以用它来研究实时观看化学的巨大挑战。化学家出现的时间大约是十亿分之一秒，对于大多数技术来说，这是远远不够的，但新的X射线自由电子激光在大约一万亿分之一秒的时间内完成了实验，使我们第一次看到了酶催化的化学反应。这项开创性的实验将需要大量的准备工作和赠款将开发的新技术。能够实时看到化学反应是化学、生物化学和生物学的重大挑战。它将改变我们的思维方式和我们所知道的东西。

We have set out to study an important new enzyme which makes a bond between two carbon atoms. The making of carbon carbon bonds is both the chemistry of life at its most basic and it is the central pillar of enzymatic chemistry. Being able to use an enzyme to make this bond, will make it possible to make new drugs. We have targeted so called C-nucleosides. These molecules trick bacteria and viruses into using them instead of the natural N-nucleosides. As a result of using these molecules, viruses and bacteria are killed. The carbon carbon bond is absolutely key to these molecules, it prevents the bacteria and virus from degrading the compound. These C-nucleosides are used by nature but they are hard to make, hence the need for new ways such as enzymes to make them. The system we are studying is also appealing because we can use it to study the grand challenge of watching chemistry in real time. Chemist occurs in around 1 billionth of second, far to fast for most techniques to see but the new X-ray free electron laser finishes experiments in around 1 trillionth of second, allowing us to see for the first time an enzyme catalysed chemical reaction. This ground breaking experiment will require a lot of preparation and new technologies which the grant will develop. Being able to see in real time a chemical reaction is a grand challenge of chemistry, biochemistry and biology. It will change how we think and what we know.