Mighty Molecules

Numerous diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, are related to dysfunctional cell signaling, which is an incredibly complicated process and thus hard to study. Perhaps the best way to tackle these diseases is to understand cell signaling by creating a simple, chemical analogue of it. In my talk I will share with you the discovery of an artificial signaling system based on few simple chemicals and the principle of negative feedback, a phenomenon which controls countless aspects of our lives, from household appliances to climate change.

Most traditional pharmaceuticals are designed to selectively bind to a target protein and modulate its function. While this approach has proven powerful, many diseases are not possible to treat in this way. In recent years, a new class of drugs called therapeutic oligonucleotides have emerged. These molecules bind to the RNA encoding a disease related protein and modulate its production. My research focuses on the development of scalable and sustainable manufacturing strategies to produce oligonucleotides, that are needed to establish these drugs as viable and cost-effective treatments.

Most medicines are complex molecules with a well-defined 3-D structure. Manufacturing these medicines from readily available chemicals is a painstaking and complex process. A critical aspect of the manufacturing cycle is ensuring that the medicines have the correct 3-D shape to achieve their desired health benefit. This talk will introduce the importance of 3-D structure in medicines; and how chemists construct these molecular shapes, with an emphasis on how fundamental advances in the past few decades have changed the way we make medicines.