Chemistry of biomolecules

Biomolecules including proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids are an important element of living organisms. Currently, these molecules offer tremendous potential for biotechnology, new therapeutic strategies, or synthetic biology. Many pharmaceutical companies and academic groups are entering or investing in this field, and the chemists have already played a major role in all of these developments.

The aim of this course is to address the specific problems for the synthesis of biomolecules (peptides, sugars, and nucleic acids) based on general notions of organic chemistry. We hope that this course will inspire future chemists to branch out on this topical field of designing new biomolecules for potent applications.

Sugars: Structural aspects (conformation,), monosaccharide chemistry (protective groups), formation of the O-glycosidic bonds (methods of activation, control of stereochemistry, mechanistic aspects).

Peptides: Formation of peptide bonds, strategy of synthesis, synthesis on solid support.

Nucleic acids: Protective groups, Phosphodiester bond formation, solid support synthesis

Basis in organic chemistry and molecular biochemistry