Nucleic acids are fundamental to life. Our research is focused on the chemical biology of nucleic acids, and employs the principles of chemistry and the molecular sciences to address questions of importance in biology and medicine. Projects are inherently interdisciplinary and will provide scope for a diversity of intellectual and experimental approaches that include: organic synthesis, biophysics, molecular and cellular biology and genomics. Our scientific goals are problem-driven, which constantly raises the need to invent new methodology.
A major interest is to elucidate and manipulate mechanisms that control the expression of genes (either transcription, or translation). We are particularly interested in the role of non-canonical nucleic acid structures that control gene expression (e.g. G-quadruplexes, micro RNA and RNA structures in the 5' untranslated regions of mRNAs). Our goal is to design and synthesise small organic molecules that target such structures and alter the expression of certain genes of interest. Such small molecule gene regulators are valuable tools to study mechanisms in biology and will also open up new approaches for therapeutics and molecular medicine, particularly for diseases characterized by aberrant expression of certain genes (e.g. various cancers).
Our fundamental science will inevitably create opportunities for translation and commercialisation. One such example was our invention (with Professor David Klenerman) of new DNA sequencing technology ("Solexa sequencing") that was commercialised as a Cambridge University spinout company (now part of Illumina Inc.) and is used routinely for applications in genomics, including human genome sequencing.
To hear Shankar Balasubramanian discuss some of the group's research click here:
http://www.sms.cam.ac.uk/media/1111642
A combinatorial approach to identifying protein tyrosine phosphatase substrates from a phosphotyrosine peptide library
YW Cheung, C Abell, S Balasubramanian - J AM CHEM SOC (
1997)
119, 9568
(DOI:
10.1021/ja971825k)
Studies on the synthesis, characterisation and reactivity of aromatic diboronic acids
MH Todd, S Balasubramanian, C Abell - TETRAHEDRON LETT (
1997)
38, 6781
(DOI:
10.1016/S0040-4039(97)01552-9)
Synthesis of 2-oxindole derivatives via the intramolecular Heck reaction on solid support
V Arumugam, A Routledge, C Abell, S Balasubramanian - TETRAHEDRON LETT (
1997)
38, 6473
(DOI:
10.1016/S0040-4039(97)01481-0)
Properties of fluorophores on solid phase resins; Implications for screening, encoding and reaction monitoring
RH Scott, S Balasubramanian - Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters (
1997)
7, 1567
(DOI:
10.1016/S0960-894X(97)00263-1)
A convenient synthetic route to oligonucleotide conjugates
JG Harrison, S Balasubramanian - Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters (
1997)
7, 1041
(DOI:
10.1016/S0960-894X(97)00152-2)
The use of a dithiane protected benzoin photolabile safety catch linker for solid-phase synthesis.
A Routledge, C Abell, S Balasubramanian - TETRAHEDRON LETT (
1997)
38, 1227
(DOI:
10.1016/S0040-4039(96)02478-1)
An investigation into solid-phase radical chemistry - Synthesis of furan rings
A Routledge, C Abell, S Balasubramanian - SYNLETT (1997), 61
Solid phase reductive alkylation of secondary amines.
NM Khan, V Arumugam, S Balasubramanian - TETRAHEDRON LETT (
1996)
37, 4819
(DOI:
10.1016/0040-4039(96)00945-8)
Escherichia coli chorismate synthase catalyzes the conversion of (6S)-6-fluoro-5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate to 6-fluorochorismate. Implications for the enzyme mechanism and the antimicrobial action of (6S)-6-fluoroshikimate.
S BORNEMANN, MK RAMJEE, S BALASUBRAMANIAN, C ABELL, JR COGGINS, DJ LOWE, RNF THORNELEY - J Biol Chem (1995) 270, 22811
Escherichia coli chorismate synthase: a deuterium kinetic-isotope effect under single-turnover and steady-state conditions shows that a flavin intermediate forms before the C-(6proR)-H bond is cleaved.
S BORNEMANN, S BALASUBRAMANIAN, JR COGGINS, C ABELL, DJ LOWE, RNF THORNELEY - Biochem J (1995) 305 ( Pt 3), 707
