Research Interest
Synthesis of peptides and peptoids employing a biomimetic approach.
Ongoing research projects are listed below:
1. Antimicrobial peptide mimics (항균 펩타이드 유도체 / 항생제 신약개발)
- Antimicrobial peptoids (다약제 내성균 치료 항생제 개발을 위한 항균 펩타이드와 펩토이드, BT News 2018; 관련 동영상)
- Mitochondria-targeting peptoids and cell-penetrating peptoids
- Peptide-based activity-based probes (ABPs) and bacterial invasion inhibitors
2. Cyclic peptide library synthesis and development of novel antiviral therapeutics (펩타이드 신약개발)
- Cyclic peptides have drawn much interest from the pharmaceutical industry and academia as being the 'ideal' class of compounds for their drug-like properties.
(Constrained peptides' time to shine? Nat. Rev. Drug Discov. 2018, 17, 531-533)
- Construction of macrocyclic peptide library for various therapeutic applications. Anti-HBV drugs and antibiotics (관련 동영상).
- Structural investigation of cyclic peptides.
3. Biomimetic catalysts (생체모방 촉매 개발)
- Natural enzyme active site mimicry
- Metal-binding natural product mimics (e.g. siderophores, metal-binding antibiotics)
- Explore novel catalytic systems
4. Novel peptoid structures and chemistry (펩토이드 구조 및 합성법)
- Position-specific modulation of peptoid structures
- Post-synthetic modification of peptoid side chains
Optimized through evolution, exceptionally detailed structural elaboration and functional precision are the hallmarks of natural peptides and proteins. Macrocyclic peptides, amphipathic helices, co-facial structures, and metal clusters are nature’s inventions for use as host-defense weaponry or catalysis. The main interest of my laboratory is to: (1) understand structure and function of natural peptides and proteins, (2) learn the lessons from natural proteins and use them as our design principle, and (3) mimicking the nature’s strategy, synthesize the privileged structures using peptides and peptoids (i.e., oligo-N-substituted glycines).
In terms of function, our focus is on antimicrobials, antivirals, and intracellular delivery carriers, employing macrocyclic and amphipathic structures. Metal clusters or co-facial structures stabilized by peptides or peptoids provided unique functional properties. The catalytic or photophysical properties exhibited in the intermediate chemical space are currently investigated in my laboratory as well.