Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry Blog

Scientists in France and Germany have shown that a simplified version of an anthrax polysaccharide can be used as a potential vaccine against Bacillus anthracis. The disaccharide analogue of the anthrax tetrasaccharide is conjugated to bovine serum albumin, with the aim to obtain an antigen able to induce specific antibodies.

Link to journal article:
Organic: Potential new anthrax vaccine
Cyrille Grandjean, Ophélie Milhomme, Suzanne M Köhler, David Ropartz, David Lesur, Serge Pilard, Florence Djedaïni-Pilard and Wolfgang Beyer
Org. Biomol. Chem., Accepted Manuscript, 2012
DOI: 10.1039/c2ob26131f

Scientists in Germany have worked on optimising compounds that reduce the formation of amyloid β-peptides, which play a crucial role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The team varied the membrane anchor, spacer and pharmacophore building blocks on BACE1 inhibitors to make tripartite structures (assembled by covalent coupling of BACE1 inhibitors with membrane anchors via suitable spacers).

Several BACE1 inhibitors have already been reported, but here, the team has shown that the cellular activity of small-molecule BACE1 inhibitors can be significantly increased by membrane targeting via a spacer with a raftophilic membrane anchor.

Optimisation of BACE1 Inhibition of Tripartite Structures by Modification of Membrane Anchor, Spacer and Pharmacophore – Development of Potential Agents for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Hans-Joachim Knölker
DOI: 10.1039/C2OB26103K

Chemistry for Tomorrow’s World 2012: Using Chemistry to Improve Agricultural Productivity

6 pm, 26 September 2012
Chemistry Centre, Burlington House, London

Join us at the RSC’s Chemistry Centre in London to hear about how synthetic organic chemistry can help to feed the world.

Azoxystrobin is the world’s leading agricultural fungicide. It is a fully synthetic compound, whose invention was inspired by the structure and activity of the naturally-occurring fungicide strobilurin A. Today it is used worldwide to control fungi growing on over 120 types of crop, improving plant health, raising quality and increasing yield. The success of the project highlights the crucial importance of chemistry in meeting grand challenges such as global food security and the broader applicability of skills such as natural product synthesis. Our keynote speaker Dr John Clough led the team of chemists at Syngenta that invented azoxystrobin. He will discuss the key role that synthetic organic chemistry played in creating an effective and safe fungicide.

This event will be held in the Chemistry Centre on 26 September at the RSC’s recently refurbished building in Burlington House, London. Doors will open at 17:30 for refreshments. The event will begin at 18:00 and will finish with a wine reception. Please follow the link here for information and to register for the event.