Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
![Digital Commons Network](http://assets.bepress.com/20200205/img/dcn/DCsunburst.png)
Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Cyclic Peptide Catalyst Design, Millicent Campbell, David Michaelis
Cyclic Peptide Catalyst Design, Millicent Campbell, David Michaelis
Journal of Undergraduate Research
Enzymes found in nature are more efficient catalysts than those used in organic chemistry labs. However, natural enzymes are not ideal for organic synthesis because they only make one product and only work in specific conditions. The Michaelis lab designed a catalyst capable of mimicking enzyme-like reactivity in the lab. This catalyst consists of an alpha helix with an imidazolidinone catalyst and a thiourea catalyst (see figure 1). The imidazolidinone catalyst and thiourea catalysts are attached adjacent to each other on the alpha helix, which acts as a rigid scaffold that can mimic the proximity effects seen in natural enzymes. …