Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry of Redox Processes in the Mitochondria

Mitochondria play a pivotal role in the redox processes that are fundamental to cell signalling and contribute to major pathologies such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes and neurodegeneration. This Chemical Biology project will involve the design and synthesis of novel probes and drug-like molecules to control and elucidate such processes. The research will provide a thorough training in the design of small molecules that affect biological systems, and in the synthetic techniques of modern medicinal chemistry. These include the handling and use of air-sensitive and moisture-sensitive compounds, and the multistep and multigram synthesis of new organic structures and their characterization by appropriate analytical techniques.