Design and synthesis of photoswitchable molecules for biological applications

Identifier:  TDX:2540

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX2540

Authors:  Bautista Barrufet, Antonio

Abstract:
This thesis work is focused on the design and synthesis of photo-sensitive azo derived compounds, in order to modulate biological systems with light. In the first block three chapters are presented. The first two describe the attempted approaches followed to bestow light sensitivity into glutamate receptor channels (responsible for neuronal transmission and synapses) based on PTLs without exogenous gene expresion techniques. In the third chapter the development of photochromic benzodiazepine ligands is explained to modulate GABAa receptor channels optically, responsible for inhibition of neurotransmission. The second block describes the enantioselective optical control of lipase 2 (from Bacillus Thermocathenolatus) in solid phase. Using engineering techniques we have expressed and introduced some cysteine residues close to the active catalytic site and conjugated with azobenzene and spiropyran dyes.