Research Group of Bioorganic Chemistry and Biomaterials

 

WELCOME to the Research Group of Bioorganic Chemistry and Biomaterials website.

In our research group, we combine methods of organic synthesis, molecular biology, spectroscopy, and physical and computational chemistry to prepare and evaluate novel bioactive molecules, primarily those based on mono- and multivalent carbohydrates, their synthetic analogs or glycomimetics, and a variety of multivalent carriers including dendrimers and dendrons.

Carbohydrates found at the cell surface mediate molecular recognition processes that are important in the progression of many pathologies. Glycomimetics are synthetically modified carbohydrate analogs designed to improve or modulate their interactions with carbohydrate-binding targets and improve the drug-like character of the analogs compared to endogenous carbohydrates. In addition, we also use glycomimetics to manipulate carbohydrate metabolism, which in turn results in defined and controlled alterations in the composition and functions of cellular glycome.

Multivalent carriers enable us to present carbohydrates, glycomimetics and other biomolecules or functionalities of interest in a spatially defined manner. Moreover, molecules with dendritic architecture can complex or encapsulate drugs, nucleic acids or analytes. The resulting supramolecular structures are studied as promising transporting system for selective delivery and controlled release of drugs and biomolecules.