Nanobioorganic Chemistry - KJJ Lab

Research in the Nanobioorganic Chemistry group focuses on the interface of synthetic (bio-)organic chemistry, biology, medicinal chemistry and nanobioscience. The starting point in our research is often synthetic peptide chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, organic chemistry on proteins, or chemistry on nanoparticles or surfaces.

The development of new, general chemical tools that enables us to contribute to chemical biology. Solid-phase peptide synthesis plays a central role, both for the fully automated preparation of peptides and in the development of new chemical methods. We are developing new linkers, incl. for the synthesis of peptide thioesters, and are developing the application of microwave heating in peptide synthesis.

Regioselective synthetic chemistry on proteins is a growing interest in our group. For example, we have designed and chemically synthesized new insulin variants with abiotic ligands, such as bipyridine for nano-scale self-assembly with Fe(II), or perfluoroalkyl chains for self-assembly driven by the ‘fluorous’ effect.

Another focus is chemoselective carbohydrate chemistry where it enables the construction of complex glycoconjugates, glyconanoparticles, covalent glycan microarrays etc.

We aim to study fundamental biological questions in collaboration with dedicated biology groups and to develop new methods for peptide medicinal chemistry. In medicinal chemistry we focus on peptide hormone derived drug candidates for the treatment of metabolic diseases and on protease inhibitors for intervention in cancer. We are enjoying collaborations with several biophysics groups. A special focus is on determination of protein topologies using small angle X-ray scattering, SAXS, and on the interaction of peptides with membranes.

 

 

 

 

 

Books

Knud J. Jensen (Ed.), Peptide and Protein Design for Biopharmaceutical Applications: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/book/10.1002/9780470749708

Michael Lebl, Morten Meldal, Knud J. Jensen, Thomas Hoeg-Jensen (Eds.), Proceedings of the 31st European Peptide Symposium, Copenhagen, 2010: Download:http://www.5z.com/31eps/book/Proc31EPS_v4.1_web.pdf

Knud J. Jensen and Anita Kildebæk Nielsen (Eds), Aspects of Philosophy of Chemistry http://nyttf.dk/?pagetype=book&vareid=84020-1

Some recent highlights

A. Pernille Tofteng, Søren L. Pedersen, Dan Staerk, Knud J. Jensen, Effect of Residual Water and Microwave Heating on Half-Lifes of Reagents and Reactive Intermediates in Peptide Synthesis, Chemistry – European Journal, 2012, 18, 9024-9031.

Angelique Broghammer, Lene Krusell, Mick Blaise, Nicolai Maolanon, John T. Sullivan, Jørgen Sauer, Maria Vinther, Andrea Lorentzen, Knud J. Jensen, Peter Roepstorff, Søren Thirup, Clive W. Ronson, Mikkel B. Thygesen, Jens Stougaard, Legume receptors perceive the bacterial lipochito-oligosaccharide signal molecules by direct binding, 2012, PNAS, 109 (34), 13859-13864.

Søren L. Pedersen, A. Pernille Tofteng, Leila Malik, Knud J. Jensen, Microwave heating in solid-phase peptide synthesis, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012, 41, 1826-1844.

Leila Malik, Jesper Nygaard, Rasmus Høiberg-Nielsen, Lise Arleth, Thomas Høeg-Jensen, Knud J. Jensen, Perfluoroalkyl Chains Direct Novel Self-Assembly of Insulin, Langmuir, 2011, 28, 593-603.

Henrik K. Munch, Søren T. Heide, Niels J. Christensen, Thomas Hoeg-Jensen, Peter W. Thulstrup and Knud J. Jensen, Controlled Self-Assembly of Re-engineered Insulin by FeII, Chem. Eur. J., 2011, 17 (26), 7198-7204.

Mikkel B. Thygesen, Henrik Munch, Jørgen Sauer, Emiliano Clo, Malene R. Jørgensen, Ole Hindsgaul, and Knud J. Jensen, Nucleophilic Catalysis of Carbohydrate Oxime Formation by Anilines, Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2010, 75, 1752-1755

Emiliano Cló, Ola Blixt, and Knud J. Jensen, Chemoselective Reagents for Covalent Capture and Display of Glycans in Microarrays, European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2010, 540.

A. Pernille Tofteng, Kasper K. Sørensen, Kilian W. Conde-Frieboes, Thomas Hoeg-Jensen, Knud J. Jensen, Fmoc Solid-Phase Synthesis of C-Terminal Peptide Thioesters via Formation of a Backbone Pyroglutamyl Imide Moiety, Angewandte Chemie, 2009, 48, 7411-7414.

Mikkel B. Thygesen, Kasper K. Sørensen, Emiliano Cló, Knud J. Jensen, Direct chemoselective synthesis of glyconanoparticles from unprotected reducing glycans and glycopeptide aldehydes, Chemical Communications, 2009, 6367-6369.

Mikkel. B. Thygesen, J. Sauer, Knud J. Jensen, Chemoselective capture of glycans for analysis on Gold nanoparticles: Carbohydrate Oxime Tautomers Provide Functional Recognition by Proteins, Chemistry – European Journal, 15, 2009, 1649-1660.