Chemistry of the Cell

Convener:

Rudolf Allemann, Cardiff University, UK

Programme:

Monday 3 August (morning and afternoon)

Tuesday 4 August (morning and afternoon)

Keynote Speakers

Structural biology and chemistry of the terpenoid cyclases
David W. Christianson, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Directed evolution of selective enzymes
Manfred T. Reetz, Max-Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry, Germany

Transition state structure, analogues and protein dynamics for human purine nucleoside phosphorylase
Vern L. Schramm, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, USA

Understanding Type I iterative polyketide synthases and their potential for unnatural product synthesis
Craig A. Townsend, The Johns Hopkins University, USA

Award Lecture

Chemical and biological diversity: new approaches to synthesising bioactive small molecules
Adam Nelson, University of Leeds, UK
(Winner of the RSC Corday-Morgan Prize 2008)

Speakers

Secrets of phosphate transfer enzymes revealed by transition state analogues
G. Michael Blackburn, University of Sheffield, UK

Catalytic mechanisms of the catechol and carotenoid dioxygenases
Timothy Bugg, University of Warwick, UK

Sphingolipid biosynthesis in microbes and mammals
Dominic J. Campopiano, University of Edinburgh, UK

Do early polyketide intermediates interact with ACP? Insights from the actinorhodin PKS from S. coelicolor A3(2)
Matthew P. Crump, University of Bristol, UK

Synthetic approaches to the disruption of protein-protein interactions
Andrew D. Hamilton, Yale University, USA

Observing and manipulating proteins in living cells through chemical labeling
Kai Johnsson, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland

Plant natural product biosynthesis - alkaloids derived from dopamine
Toni M. Kutchan, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, USA

Solvent isotope effects on dihydrofolate reductase catalysis
Joel Loveridge, Cardiff University, UK

Protein dynamics and enzyme catalysis: insights from simulation
Adrian J. Mulholland, University of Bristol, UK

Active site motions and catalysis in a CoA transferase
Nigel G.J. Richards, University of Florida, USA

Experimental studies of sampling mechanisms for biological hydrogen tunnelling reactions
Nigel S. Scrutton, University of Manchester, UK

Identification and role of thiamine pyrophosphate riboswitches
Alison G. Smith, University of Cambridge, UK

From enzymatic to synthetic DNA base flipping
Elmar Weinhold, RWTH Aachen, Germany

Rational protein design in synthetic biology
Dek Woolfson, University of Bristol, UK

The anti-angiogenic polyketide borrelidin is a modulator of pre-mRNA alternative splicing
Barrie Wilkinson, Biotica, UK

Symposium Information

The chemical understanding of the processes of life continues to underpin and shape man's interactions with nature. The Bioorganic Chemistry Group of the RSC serves its members with interests in all aspects of biological chemistry through regular meeting organisation in the UK. We are very pleased to be holding our flagship "Chemistry of the Cell" symposium as part of the 42nd IUPAC Congress.  

The two day meeting will explore four main themes:

• Enzyme Mechanism
• The Transition State Paradigm and Beyond
• Chemical & Synthetic Biology 
• Biosynthetic Pathways

These themes run through international efforts to understand and exploit cellular chemistry and we are pleased that world leaders (listed on this page) have agreed to present their latest research at the meeting.