New publication on Angew. Chem from Reading-Dublin collaboration

Tayler David Prieto (ESR2, University of Reading) published, together with colleagues from the Cardin group in Reading and the Kellett group at DCU, a paper on Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) titled “Probing a major DNA weakness: resolving the groove and sequence selectivity of the diimine complex [Λ-Ru(phen)2phi]2+”. This work notably benefitted from the use of the infrastructure at Diamond Light Source Ltd.

The paper demonstrates, for the first time, a crystal structure showing groove selectivity by an intercalating ruthenium complex.

It is available in Open Access on the publisher’s website.

NATURE-ETN Symposium in Paris, France

On the 9th and 10th of November 2023, the Gasser group at Chimie ParisTech hosted the NATURE-ETN Symposium at their premises in Paris, France.

The Symposium was centred on the path from basic research to commercialisation and/or clinical trials. We had the privilege to hear from eminent speakers such as Marie Dutreix (Institut Curie, co-founder of DNA Therapeutics), Thomas Carell (Founder of baseclick), Tom Brown (co-founder of three biotechs, including our partner ATDBio), Nick Farrell (Virginia Commonwealth University), Patrick Couvreur (University Paris-Saclay and serial entrepreneur), Laurence Mulard (Institut Pasteur), and Mark Bazett (Director of Preclinical Development at Bold Therapeutics Inc.).

Some ESRs also presented their poster during the event reception at the beautiful Chimie ParisTech library.

We thank the Gasser group for the smooth organisation, as well as all the speakers for their precious insights from basic science to applications.

Work from Paris-Reading collaboration published in Inorganic Chemistry

Our ESRs Maria Dalla Pozza (PSL University), Tayler David Prieto and Ahmad Abdullrahman (University of Reading) published together with their supervisors and co-authors from the Hollenstein lab at Institut Pasteur, a new article in the Inorganic Chemistry journal.

The article is about Ru(II) complexes with phototoxicity in the nM concentration range.

New Publication: Thiazole Orange-Carboplatin TFO Combination Probes for Enhanced DNA Crosslinking

A group of researchers from the Kellett group at Dublin City University (including our ESR Malou Coche), the Brown group at the University of Oxford, and the company ATDBio, along with the member of our Scientific Advisory Board Nicholas P. Farrell (Virginia Commonwealth University) co-authored a new publication in the journal RSC Medicinal Chemistry.

Titled “Thiazole Orange-Carboplatin Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotide (TFO) Combination Probes Enhance Targeted DNA Crosslinking”, this study reports a new class of Carboplatin-TFO hybrid that incorporates a bifunctional alkyne-amine nucleobase monomer called AP-C3-dT that enables dual ‘click’ platinum(II) drug conjugation and thiazole orange fluorophore coupling.

It is available in Open Access on the journal’s website.

A new publication from the collaboration between LMU and baseclick

Our ESR Eva Schönegger, together with colleagues from the company baseclick GmbH and the Carell group at LMU Münich, just published a new paper titled “Orthogonal end labelling of oligonucleotides via dual incorporation of Click reactive NTP analogues” on ChemBioChem.

The paper introduces a modular method for modifying DNA and RNA strands at both ends with click-modifiable functional groups using γ-modified ATP analogues and T4 PNK catalysis for 5′-modification, compatible with TdT-catalyzed 3′-elongation using 3′-Azido-2′,3′-ddGTP. The approach is demonstrated to be suitable for oligo-oligo ligations and ssDNA-circularization, potentially enhancing the utility of oligonucleotides in therapeutic and diagnostic applications, particularly in next-generation sequencing.

The list of publications originating from the network can be found on our Dissemination page.

Jamie and colleagues at Origins of Life Donostia Meeting 2023

Our ESR Chun Yin (Jamie) Chan from the Carell group at LMU Munich, together with colleagues presented their work at the Origins of Life Donostia Meeting in Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country (Spain).

He presented his work on “RNA modifications as molecular fossils of an early protocell world”, co-authored with Johannes Singer and Thomas Carell.

New publication on super cytotoxic Re(I) complexes

Collaborative work between researchers from the University of the Free World in South Africa and the Gasser group at PSL University has just been published in Inorganic Chemistry. This work notably includes a contribution from our ESR Maria Dalla Pozza.

This paper presents Re(I) carbonyl complexes with exceptionally low nanomolar cytotoxic activity toward prostate cancer cells, demonstrating further the future viability of utilising rhenium in the fight against cancer.

It is available Open Access here.