Biological photochemistry for chemical synthesis

该项目将发展生物光化学，利用蛋白质作为催化剂，在可见光照射下进行新的化学转化。近年来，化学光氧化还原催化已经改变了分子的制造方式，使用简单的可见光源与金属催化剂相结合来介导电子转移反应。然而，这种方法的基本限制在于依赖贵金属催化剂，并且在控制绝对立体化学方面存在严重困难。我们的目标是开发使用有机光氧化还原辅助因子的生物光催化剂，蛋白质的手性活性位点为对映选择性反应创造了可能性。该项目将在Greaney（化学催化），Green（生物催化和酶学）和Hay（生物光物理）实验室进行，他们都对创造性有机化学和化学生物学感兴趣，以解决合成中的问题。博士研究生将提供化学和生物催化方面的全面培训，以开发一种新的光催化方法，在可持续化学的框架下提供有价值的手性构建块。鼓励具有化学学位并对下一代分子制造方法感兴趣的学生申请。

This project will develop biological photochemistry, using proteins as catalysts for new chemical transformations under visible light irradiation. Chemical photoredox catalysis has changed the way molecules are made in recent years, using simple visible light sources in combination with metal catalysts to mediate electron transfer reactions. Fundamental limitations of the approach, however, exist in the form of reliance on precious metal catalysts, and serious difficulties associated with control of absolute stereochemistry. We aim to develop biological photocatalysts that use organic photoredox cofactors, with the chiral active site of the protein creating possibilities for enantioselective reactions.The project will take place in the Greaney (chemocatalysis), Green (biocatalysis and enzymology), and Hay (biological photophysics) laboratories, who all share an interest in creative organic chemistry and chemical biology to solve problems in synthesis. The PhD studentship will provide comprehensive training in both chemical and biological catalysis, to develop a new approach to photocatalysis that can deliver valuable chiral building blocks under the rubric of sustainable chemistry. Students with a degree in chemistry and an interest in next generation molecule-making methods are encouraged to apply.