Life in the Lab

Thanks to an amazing mentor and my sheer joy for science, my research lab is practically a home away from home. It is definitely top on my list of comfort zones.

So, what is it that I research? With the guidance of my mentor, Dr. Choon Young Lee, I research the organic synthesis of antioxidant dendrimers. The technical jargon is only half (or even less thanks to all of our short term phrases used in discussion) of the fun that I experience doing research.

A little bit of background information is helpful to understanding what and more importantly, why I am doing my research project. Antioxidants are molecules that have free radical scavenging capabilities. Free radicals are those molecules with an unpaired electron in its valence shell and are commonly formed during biological processes within human body. Free radicals are harmful because they steal electrons from other sources, such as our DNA. Mutations that can occur from free radicals stealing valuable biological electrons can lead to certain diseases such as asthma, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases (which include Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzheimer's). Therefore, it is hypothesized that antioxidants may aid in prevention for the aforementioned diseases.

The purpose of my research project is to synthesize a new antioxidant in dendritic architecture. Overall, the goal is for the new antioxidant dendrimer to possess higher antioxidant capabilities than those naturally occurring antioxidants (such as vitamins A, C and E) and to have lower pro-oxidant effects. Trends in previous research have shown that an increase in the number of phenolic moieties of antioxidant lead to higher antioxidant capabilities. The pro-oxidant effect of the molecule is also important to consider because it counteracts the activity of the antioxidant.   Pro-oxidant effect means that antioxidant in the presence of copper and iron ions can actually produce more free radicals rather than scavenging.

I started volunteering in Dr. Lee's lab during the spring term of my freshman year. At that point, I really had no background knowledge of organic chemistry, but I was able to pick up the concepts of what was being done in lab. The general overview of what is done in my research project:

• Run a reaction
• Purify the product
• Analyze the product
• Repeat

My antioxidant dendrimer is developed from a sugar core to which branching units are attached, followed by the attachment of phenolic units (building blocks)  to form generation 1(G1). Both conventional heating and microwave energy are used to run the reaction when appropriate. Each reaction is monitored using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI) and is purified using a silica-gel based flash column chromatography (or a standard gravity column when necessary). The purification results are also analyzed with TLC and ESI. When the pure product is obtained, ¹H/¹³C NMR (nuclear magnetic spectroscopy) and HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) are done and used to evaluate the identity and purity of the product. 

To form the higher generation antioxidant dendrimers, the molecule passes through the reaction phases of G1.5 and then G2. Branching units will be attached to G1 to form G1.5 to which the same phenolic building blocks will be attached to form G2.  Each phase is a growth in the formation of the molecule.  So, a G0.5 consists of the sugar core and a branching unit, the G1 is the core, branching unit and then a building block. The G1.5 is a core, branching unit, building block, and then another branching unit. As the pattern continues, the G2 is a core, branching unit, building block, branching unit and then building block newly attached.  The molecule will have a cushy ball shape and the reaction steps can be repeated as long as the surface of molecule is not sterically too congested and can accommodate building blocks.

I have greatly enjoyed sharing this post with you all. I only wish you could sense my enthusiasm that I hold in all of these scientific terms! I really am passionate about organic chemistry, and I am absolutely enthralled with my research. :-) Thanks for reading!!