ICB combines expertise in natural products,[i] target- or diversity-oriented chemistry with late-stage or C-H functionalization[ii] technics and in-silico approaches to explore chemical space or molecular networks. This will provide new chemical genetics tools or specialized libraries to probe biological mechanisms and accelerate drug discovery. In addition to small molecules, we will combine synthetic chemistry and enzymatic ligation to prepare modified biomolecules or conjugates (peptides,[iii] oligosaccharides,[iv] nucleic acids[v]) than cannot be genetically encoded. These synthetic biomolecules will allow to probe and manipulate cellular mechanisms. Applications range from co-crystallizations tools,19e cell-surface modification, precision targeting by modified aptamers,[vi] peptides[vii] or (multi)-specific antibodies[viii] to the development of synthetic vaccines[ix] or sensors.
[i] a) Oliveira-Junior RG et al Chem-Bio Intact. 2020, 109109 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109109), b) Allievi, L et al Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 5218-5222 (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.1c01757)
[ii] Esteves, H. et al, ACS Catal 2024, 14, 4329-4339 (https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.3c04900)
[iii] Fontvielle, M. et al Chem. Eur. J. 2018, 24, 14911-14915 (https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201802360)
[iv] Cornil, J. et al, Org Chem Front 2021, 8, 6279-99 (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1QO00761K)
[v] Rietmeyer, L. et al. Nucl. Acid. Res. 2022, 50, 11415-11425 (https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkac1023)
[vi] Cheung et al, PNAS 2020, 117, 16790-16798 (https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2003267117).
[vii] WO2020 /039387
[viii] Thoreau, F. et al, ACS Cent. Sci. 2023, 9, 476-487 (https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.2c01437).
[ix] a) Vander Pt, R. M. F. et al, ACS Cent. Sci. 2022, 8, 449-460 (https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.1c01479). b)