Andrew Chang

2nd Year Medical Student

Department: School of Medicine

Graduate Program: TBD

Advisor: W. Todd Miller (rotating)

Abstract (undergraduate):

Advisor: Dr. Gregory L. Verdine, Harvard University

Title:  Stitching Alpha-Helical Peptides by Tandem Ring-Closing Metathesis

Authors: Young-Woo Kim, Peter S. Kutchukian, Andrew Chang, Gregory L.
Verdine*

Chemically equivalent but positionally distinct olefins in alpha-helical peptide scaffolds undergo remarkably selective Ru-mediated tandem ring-closing metathesis reactions leading to doubly crosslinked peptides having a central spiro ring junction. The stitched alpha-helical peptides thus generated demonstrate thermal stability exceeding that of most thermophilic proteins, and they also exhibit the high protease resistance characteristic of tightly folded proteins.