MEMBRANE BASED PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS

MICROPOROUS MEMBRANES ARE USED IN A VARIETY OF SUPPORT FUNCTIONS, RANGING FROM PARTICLE FILTRATION TO AFFINITY LIGAND MEDIA. THEY PROVIDE A LARGE EXTENDED SURFACE THAT ISRAPIDLY ACCESSIBLE BY VIRTUE OF CONVECTIVE FLOW THROUGH THEIR PORE STRUCTURE. SUCH CONVECTIVE FLOW OFFERS THE POSSIBILITY OF MUCH MORE RAPID REACTIONS OR COMPLEXATION WHEN COMPARED TO PROCESSES LIMITED BY DIFFUSION. IN THE PREPARATION OF SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES THE USE OF MICROPOROUS MEDIA IN BEAD FORM IS WELL ESTABLISHED. HOWEVER, DELIVERY OF REAGENTS, REMOVAL OF BY-PRODUCTS, AND REACTIVATION OF INTERMEDIATES ARE ALL DIFFUSION DEPENDENT WHEN SUCH MEDIA ARE USED. FOR CERTAIN APPLICATIONS THIS DIFFUSIVE CONTROL MITIGATES BOTH PRODUCT PURITY AND SCALE-UP POTENTIAL. WE PROPOSE TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF MEMBRANE BASED PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS (MBPS) BY A CAREFULLY CONTROLLED SERIES OF MODEL PEPTIDE PREPARATION ON SEVERAL FUNCTIONALIZED MEMBRANE SUPPORTS. DURING PHASE I WE WILL DETERMINE THE MOST APPROPRIATE LINKAGE CHEMISTRIES, SELECT APPROPRIATE SOLVENT(S) AND SURVEY THE MOST PROMISING MICROPOROUS MEMBRANE MATERIALS FOR THEIR UTILITY. THIS PHASE WILL CULMINATE IN THE DEMONSTRATED SYNTHESIS OF A PEPTIDE ON THE MEMBRANE SUPPORT AND DETERMINATION OF ITS STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY.