IIT Delhi researchers develop visible-light strategy to synthesise unnatural amino acids

New Delhi, Aug 14 (INB) Researchers at IIT Delhi have developed a visible-light-driven chemical strategy to synthesise unnatural amino acids with precise control over their three-dimensional structure, an advance that could aid drug and biomolecule development, the premier institute said on Friday. The new method was developed by a research team led by Prof Ravi P Singh of the Department of Chemistry, IIT Delhi, using light energy and a chiral copper catalyst-ligand system to achieve highly selective chemical transformations, it said in a statement. Unnatural amino acids (UAAs) are modified versions of naturally occurring amino acids and are increasingly used in medicine, biotechnology and materials research. They can help create biomimetics with improved stability, longer activity and enhanced target selectivity, it stated. Several medicines, including bortezomib, octreotide and baclofen, use modified amino acids to enhance their therapeutic properties. UAAs are also used in protein engineering, biological research, organic synthesis, catalysis and advanced biomaterials. According to Prof Singh, one of the key challenges was producing a single enantiomer of an amino acid selectively, as biological systems generally recognise only one specific three-dimensional configuration of a molecule. The IIT Delhi researchers addressed this challenge by using visible light along with a chiral copper catalyst-ligand system. The approach starts with simple and readily available natural amino acid building blocks and enables the introduction of new chemical groups to produce a diverse range of unnatural amino acids, according to the statement. The researchers reported that the strategy enabled them to generate 43 examples of unnatural amino acids and peptides, providing new building blocks for designing proteins and other biomolecules with potentially diverse functions. “With this strategy we could generate 43 examples of UAAs and peptides,” Prof Singh said, adding that the building blocks could be combined in numerous ways to create new biological structures and functions. The researchers said the approach could expand the repertoire of available unnatural amino acids and contribute to the development of next-generation biomolecules, therapeutic agents and functional materials.