One post-transcriptional mechanism that regulates the progression of cancer and other diseases involves small 22-23 nucleotide sequences called microRNA (miR). Early detection of small changes in concentration of these biomarkers holds potential to diagnose diseases at their earliest stages. Use of current nucleic-acid based biosensors, like molecular beacons, for in...
An asymmetric approach to the synthesis of byssochlamic acid (1) is
described. Regioisomeric enzymatic differentiation is described in the selective
hydrolysis of dimethyl ester 30 by porcine liver esterase. Chiral dimethyl ester 42
was prepared by desymmetrization of cyclopentene 34 using porcine liver
esterase. A key intramolecular [2+2]cycloaddition-cycloreversion
photometathesis of...
2,5-dihydroxyacetanilide epoxidase from Streptomyces LL-C10037 (DHAE I)
catalyzes the epoxidation of hydroquinone 4, to form epoxyquinone 7. DHAE I has been
purified to homogeneity, with an overall purification factor greater than 23,000. N-terminal
and internal amino acid sequences have been obtained from the purified enzyme so
that the epoxidase gene...
This thesis is separated into three distinct projects. First, synthetic studies towards the furanosteroid viridin shown in part I. Second, synthetic studies towards the diperene obtusanal shown in part II. Third, the analysis, characterization, and synthesis of coronene derivatives towards their application in organic batteries shown in part III. Significant...
Pseudomonas fluorescens NZI7 was first isolated from a New Zealand mushroom farm in 2001. This Gram-negative bacteria can cause brown blotch disease in the basidiomycete mushroom Agaricus bisporus. P. fluorescens NZI7 can also repel grazing by the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a natural predator of P. fluorescens NZI7. Potentially implicated in...
The relative rates of bridgehead hydrogen abstraction from a
series of 1-substituted adamantanes by the trichloromethyl radical
at 40.0°C. has been carried out. Utilizing the Hammett-Taft equation
a p* value of -0.40 was obtained for this reaction. Application
of the Kirkwood-Westheimer model for the transmission of substituent
effects gave an...
Fluorescence has proven to be a robust and powerful method of analysis in numerous fields: forensics, pharmaceutics, geology, food science, and environmental sciences have all developed a large collection of fluorescence instruments and methods to overcome application-specific challenges. Biological applications saw the same development of a fluorescence toolkit with methods...