Monday, 2 May 4:00pm – 5:00pm

This seminar will be delivered in Chemistry Lecture Theatre 2 and Online Zoom Please email chemistry.researchsupport@sydney.edu.au for zoom link and password.

Speaker: Prof. Caroline Prouxl; North Carolina State University

Host: Prof. Rich Payne

Title: New Tools for Peptide Mimicry and Functionalization

Abstract: Peptides modulate a variety of biological responses, including as hormones and neurotransmitters. Occupying the space between small molecules and biologics, they have also been pursued to target protein-protein interaction surfaces. However, strategies are needed to convert them into more stable molecules while retaining the bioactivity of the native peptides, ideally employing scaffolds that can adopt precise secondary structures while being amenable to rapid derivatization for library synthesis and screening. Towards that goal, we develop new methods for late-stage peptide functionalizations, and devise new strategies for the synthesis and conformational control of highly substituted peptidomimetics. This includes 1) the synthesis and study of N-aryl peptides as tunable precursors for kethydrazone and ketoxime ligations, 2) the development of new methods for chemoselective functionalizations of azapeptides, and 3) the design and application of new conformationally-constrained N-substituted glycine (peptoid) monomers. This presentation will provide an overview of the new broadly applicable tools for peptide mimicry developed in the Proulx lab, with emphasis on synthetic method development.

Biography: Caroline Proulx obtained her Hon. B.Sc. from the University of Ottawa in Biopharmaceutical Sciences (Medicinal Chemistry) in 2007. In 2012, she obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Montreal under the guidance of Prof. William D. Lubell, where she worked on the development of methodologies for the synthesis of azapeptides. From 2012-2016 she was an NSERC postdoctoral fellow at the Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, working with Dr. Ronald N. Zuckermann on peptoid synthesis and self-assembly. She joined the faculty at North Carolina State University in July 2016 as an Assistant Professor, focusing on the design, synthesis, folding, and function of peptide mimics. She received the LeRoy and Elva Martin Award at NCSU for teaching excellence in 2019, the American Peptide Society Early Career Lectureship in 2021, and the NSF CAREER award in 2021.