Bioactivity and Chirality (BIOCHIRAL)

Description

Research activity of BIOCHIRAL group  focuses on chirality as a basic characteristic of living matter and nature. Precisely, the established preference in selecting L-Amino acids (to form proteins and enzymes) and D-Ribose or D-Deoxiribose (as components of RNA or DNA, respectively) supports the statement that nature has selected one kind of chirality during life evolution on our planet. Additionally, the universal character of chirality can be appreciated at different levels (e.g., subatomic, molecular, supramolecular, nanoscopic and macroscopic). Particularly, concepts of molecular chirality, supramolecular chirality and induced chirality are of special importance since they are strongly related to distinct types of intermolecular and intramolecular interactions determining biological activity. Furthermore, as chirality remains an important issue in biotransformation and bioaccumulation reactions, characteristic enantiomeric ratios of chiral compounds can provide relevant information to propose new markers useful to evaluate food safety, quality and bioactivity as well as to establish predictive biomarkers of interest in, for example, clinical diagnosis.   

Objectives

• Assessment of the adequation of different research strategies for achieving chiral discrimination.
• Development of new analytical methodologies based on the use of chiral biosensors.
• Development of new analytical methods based on the use of multidimensional chromatographic techniques.

Skills

• Development of new methods, based on the use of chiral selectors and biosensors, for the stereochemical evaluation of chiral markers and the study of their impact on biological activity.
• Analysis of chiral and achiral compounds using on-line coupling of Multidimensional Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC-GC-MS) and on-line coupled Liquid Chromatography to Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (LC-GC-MS).