When
Presenter
Troy Smith
Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona
Bio sketch:
My name is Troy Smith and I am a 5th year PhD candidate in the Polt group where I research CNS active glycopeptide drugs. I received my bachelor's in Chemistry with a minor in biology from Millersville University where I performed research in developing catalysts for transfer hydrogenation reactions. I enjoy giving back to the scientific community and you can often find me judging poster fairs or mentoring undergraduate students, either within my research group or as a group leader for the Undergraduate Biological Research Program (UBRP) here at the UofA. Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time outdoors or hanging out with my dog, Ollie, and my cat, Ozzie.
Abstract:
A global paradigm shift has begun within the pharmaceutical sector. Peptides, chains of amino acids, were originally thought to be poor drug candidates, however, with drugs such as Ozempic providing therapeutic benefits to millions worldwide, this belief has been flipped on its head. While peptide-based therapeutics are now able to treat a variety of conditions, there has yet to be a peptide drug developed for central nervous system therapeutic applications due to challenges crossing the blood brain barrier. We have had success with improving blood brain barrier penetration of CNS active peptides through means of glycosylation; however glycosylation of these drug candidates provides a significant synthetic challenge at each stage of synthesis. In this talk we aim to cover the design, synthesis, and neuroprotective effects of PACAP-Derived Glycopeptide
Hosted by: Dr. Robin Polt