Occidental College




Heparin Alternative Using Virus Scaffolds
Conrad Fihn
Project Advisor: Andrew Udit

     Our aim is to generate materials with heparin-like activity by targeting sulfated ligands to the surface of bacteriophage Qß. Efforts thus far have focused on synthesizing the molecules required for attachment to the virus. Synthesis of a tetrasulfated glucose azide is nearing completion. We have advanced through the glucose-azide step and are continuing to develop a working method for full sulfation and purification. Other sulfated molecules we are synthesizing are linear two- and six-carbon azide ligands; the precursor azido alcohols have been successfully generated thus far. We have also synthesized the bifunctional N-hydroxysuccinimide alkyne linker molecule: reaction of the NHS end with lysine residues followed by reaction of the alkyne with the sulfated azide molecules will result in polyvalent display of the sulfated molecules on the virus surface, which will be assayed for heparin-like activity.

Support provided by: Fletcher Jones Chemistry and Biochemistry Research Endowment

Undergraduate Research Center 1600 Campus Rd. Los Angeles, CA. 90041 (323) 259-1414