Design and Synthesis of Bioactive Peptides and Peptoids Professor Steven Cobb presents his work on Peptide Drug Design and Delivery, Peptidomimetics and Bioorganic Fluorine Chemistry. Hosted by Dr Chris Spicer.

Seminar
This event has now finished.
  • Date and time: Friday 1 March 2024, 1pm to 2pm
  • Location: Dianna Bowles Lecture Theatre, B/K/018, Biology Building, Campus West, University of York (Map)
  • Audience: Open to alumni, staff, students (postgraduate researchers, taught postgraduates, undergraduates)
  • Admission: Free admission, booking not required

Event details

Abstract

Peptides and their corresponding analogues, peptoids, offer the opportunity to design and develop new bioactive agents for the treatment of a range of infectious diseases, including Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Work within the Cobb group has focused on developing approaches and reagents that can be used to access novel peptide and peptoid scaffolds that can be used in this area. In particular, a focus of the work within the Cobb group has been on developing underpinning methodologies that can be used to access peptoids with stable structures (e.g. stable helices). A summary of the chemistry developed within the group and an overview of the biological properties of the peptides/ peptoids prepared will be presented.

About the speaker

Steven Cobb is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Durham University, Director of the Biophysical Sciences Institute and Fellow of the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing. 

Steven carried out his PhD with Professor David O’Hagan at St. Andrews University (2001-2005). His work focused on the biosynthesis of fluorinated natural products, in the bacteria Streptomyces cattleya. The highlight of this research was the identification of the first ever naturally-occurring C-F bond forming enzyme (Nature, 2002, 416, 279). Steven was awarded an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Fellowship and moved to the University of Alberta, to work with Professor John Vederas, FRS. During this time he was introduced to the field of peptide chemistry and he worked on the development of new peptide based antibiotics.

The Cobb group uses a range of methods and techniques in synthetic organic chemistry, peptoid & peptide science and fluorine chemistry to tackle interesting and challenging biological problems. The four main areas of interest are:

  1. Peptides and peptoids
  2. Infectious diseases
  3. Bioorganic fluorine chemistry
  4. Cancer research