Currently there are 8 projects supported by Russian Scientific Fund in Kazan Federal University. The new project of the Alexander Butlerov Institute of Chemistry is one of them. The projet is dedicated to the creation of smart-vesicle using of new amphiphilic thiacalixarenes, which exhibit receptor properties.
There are 11 people working on the creation of smart-vesicle using of new amphiphilic thiacalixarenes, which exhibit receptor properties. There are nine young teachers, postgraduates and students among them. Igor Antipin, the head of the Department of organic chemistry, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, guides the young researches team.
- We are developing smart materials which can be applied in molecular recognition in complex multicomponent media and for different applied goals of biochemistry, sensory and medicine, among them: noninvasive control of various biomarkers of live organisms, creation of the high-specific pharmaceutical drugs of new generation without significant side effects, - claims Vladimir Burilov, executive of the project, associate professor of organic chemistry department.
The main objective of the project is the creation of high-selective receptor molecules using supramolecular chemistry approaches, explained Igor Antipin.
- There is a wide number of opportunities for the use of these materials. They vary from reception of high-selective substances and sorbents to creation of nanorobots (nanoboats) operating in living organisms, - commented the head of department.
According to Vladimir Burilov, the technology of such smart materials creation is perfectly unique. It is proposed to use so-called "soft" surfaces - bilayered vesicle membranes for formation of molecular "print" of a target substratum and fixing by its covalent links (an editor's note: Lipid vesicles liposomes are closed structures in which at least one lipid bilayer separates an aqueous inner compartment from the bulk xternal aqueous medium, as in membranes of contemporary biological cells).
- Receptors connect with phospholipid vesicle through intermolecular interactions, and they receive flexibility, mobility on a membrane and can be effectively arranged under big biomolecules due to intermolecular interactions. In other words, when such a vesicle moves closer to biomolecules, receptor molecules on the vesicle are arranged in terms of it by creating "a molecular mold". It is necessary to fix it by classical methods of organic chemistry and to use for recognition of a biomolecule, - Vladimir Burilov explained. - Luminescent molecules giving the corresponding response can be placed on the same vesicle.
Receptors, which are used by researchers in this project, are based on derivatives of calixarene and thiacalixarenes, which are effective receptors for various molecules.
Regarding the relevance of the project, Igor Antipin underlined that researchers are interested in receiving materials on the basis of controlled self-organization of structural elements together with the set structure and functional characteristics.
- In particular, it can help to solve the problem of receiving medical drug possessing the increased selectivity of action and the minimum side effects. It is not a secret, that effect of manymedicinal drug is based on the connection of molecule with the certain fragment of a virus, bacteria and blocks any function, which is important for activity of this bioobjec. The effective contact of the substance with the center which needs to be blocked is quite significant. Now experimental methods came to such level which allows to define what center is responsible for what kind of activity, then the task of synthetic chemists is to create a molecule which would completely correspond to these centers, - commented Igor Antipin.
Scientists have got an idea to use the approaches of supramolecular chemistry.
- The target molecule (which is used for creating a receptor) may surround itself with complementary molecules and serve as a template for receptor assembly. So, our task is to collect receptors on a molecule-template, and then - to fix them. As a result, when the template is cleaned, there are only high-selective molecules which will interact only with this template.
One year has passed from the launch of this project, and scientists have already managed to create structural blocks with various receptor fragments.
- The second year will be devoted to studying the terms of linking of our synthetic receptors with molecules-templates and the development of their fixing methods. By the end of the third year it is planned to create all necessary structural blocks and show how these structural blocks can be assembled on the set template and then to connect them covalently , - shared Igor Antipin.
This project is also important for the professional growth of young researchers, students and postgraduate students who are involved in this project.
- This project helped us to interest and involve students, postgraduate students and young scientists to scientific work. Opportunity of working on ambitious scientific problems in the field of synthetic organic and supramolecular chemistry motivates young researchers and adjusts them on scientific growth. Moreover, the financial support of young researchers is possible in terms of the project. It is also very important and allows involving talented young scientists in the university, - summarized Vladimir Burilov.