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Title: Adventures in (Glyco)peptides
Abstract: Peptides are a fundamental class of compounds that are being used increasingly as therapeutics, with over thirty new drugs approved for a variety of indications over the past twenty-five years. The Ferracane Lab is interested in developing cyclic and glycosylated peptides for use as chemical probes and potential medicines. In this presentation, I will report key findings from our investigation into the structure-activity relationship of the opioid cyclic tetrapeptide cyclo[Pro-Sar-Phe-D-Phe] through chemical synthesis, conformational analysis, and a combination of in vitro and in vivo study. Following this, I will share our early efforts to rationally design and subsequently synthesize novel glycopeptide-based ligands of O-glycoprotease enzymes secreted by bacteria of the gut microbiome.