What do biology, engineering, and architecture have in common?
Central to each field is the idea that structure determines
function. What a molecule, device, or building can accomplish
(function) is determined by how it is put together (structure). In
chemistry, structure is more than just knowing which atoms are
connected to which other atoms; molecules are inherently “floppy”
can assume variety arrangements, or conformations.
Conformational Analysis of Nucleosides, Nucleotides, and
cADPR:
Calcium ions (Ca2+) play a major role in regulating diverse
biological processes. Much of our work is directed to the synthesis
and conformational analysis of the calcium-release agent cyclic
adenosine diphosphoribose, or cADPR, as well as the canonical
nucleosides and nucleotides found in DNA and RNA. We use a
combination of synthesis, NMR spectroscopy, and computational
chemistry (ab initio and molecular mechanics) to elucidate the
solution structures.
Prof. Graham's research
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