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Biochemistry Commons

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Theses/Dissertations

Physical Sciences and Mathematics

2011

Butler University

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry

Characterization Of Esterase Activity From The Bacteria, Francisella Tularensis, The Causative Agent Of Tularemia, Leigh Anna Weston May 2011

Characterization Of Esterase Activity From The Bacteria, Francisella Tularensis, The Causative Agent Of Tularemia, Leigh Anna Weston

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Francisella tularensis is the bacteria responsible for causing the disease tularemia and is listed as one of the top three-biowarfare agents. Among the proteins essential to the virulence and infectivity of F.tularensis are multiple esterases, which are enzymes that break down various ester, thioester, and amide bonds. In this project, the catalytic activity, substrate speci fi city, and structure of a putative esterase from F.tularensis was studied. Latent fluorophores based on the molecule, fluorescein, were unmasked by the enzymatic activity of the esterase and the increase in fluorescence was measured over time to determine how well the e tcrase recognized …


Chiral Recognition Study Of A Bimolecular Process In Amino Acid Chiral Ionic Liquids, Laurel Millikan Heckman May 2011

Chiral Recognition Study Of A Bimolecular Process In Amino Acid Chiral Ionic Liquids, Laurel Millikan Heckman

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In this study, chiral ionic liquid (CIL) solvents were prepared and tested for their chiral discrimination ability by probing with luminescence quenching. The CIL's were also tested for their impurities, viscosity and density. These experiments will help to determine the ability of CIL's to act as solvents in asymmetric catalysis. The chiral ionic liquids in this study were composed of amino acid methyl ester cations and bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonimide or bistri flimide anions (i.e. I-alanine methyl ester bistriflimid e, d-alanine methyl ester bistr iflim ide and I-leuci ne methyl ester bistriflimde). Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and its quenching in the chiral …