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Main takeaways on the CLASSY Scientific Symposium 2024

April 18, 2024 by accelwpadmin

The CLASSY Scientific Symposium “Catalysis in chemical networks and supramolecular assemblies: New advances in systems chemistry” was held online on 15 March 2024 from 13:00 – 16:00, attracting more than 50 participants from the industry and academia. The event zoomed in on Catalysis in chemical networks and supramolecular assemblies through nine experts in the field.

The partners had the opportunity to share their latest discoveries with a wider audience on the topics with the view of four external experts in catalysis and compartmentalisation strategies in the context of systems chemistry. All members also shared insights on the importance of facing challenges to revolutionise the methodologies in which we synthesise chemical molecules. The event marked a successful end to this ambitious and multidisciplinary project, achieving not only significant developments in the fundamental understanding of molecular synthesis, but also strong collaborations between internal and external partners of the CLASSY consortium.

The final event of CLASSY was based on presentations and discussions to demonstrate scientific results from the project. All nine speakers were available to answer questions during a dedicated time for Q&A following each of the presentations. The first part of the Symposium was guided by Andres de la Escosura, Coordinator of the CLASSY project (UAM), where the following presentations were showcased and from where we picked up the following interventions from the speakers:

Catalytic length-controlled oligomerization with synthetic programmable templates. Dr. Bartosz Lewandowski, ETH Zürich:

“Our results open exciting possibilities for future research on supramolecular catalysts for controlled assembly of complex molecules”.

Chemical reaction networks based on conjugate additions on beta-substituted Michael acceptors. Dr. Rienk Eelkema, Technical University of Delft

“Beta-substituted Michael acceptors open the door to interfacing with biology”.

Multi-biocatalytic reaction systems. Prof. Wolfgang Kroutil, Universität Graz :

“Combining biocatalysis and peptide-catalysis simultaneously for a one-pot sequential two-step photobiocatalytic process”.

Driving chemical systems away from equilibrium. Dr. Leonard Prins, University of Padova:

“An energy rachet mechanism for dynamic covalent bond formation, as a new strategy to develop supramolecular materials”.

Active learning of biochemical reaction networks in flow. Dr. Bob van Sluijs, Radboud University Nijmegen:

“When in doubt, just perturb it”.

The second part of the Symposium was guided by Bartosz Lewandowski, ETH Zürich, who gave the floor to the following presentations and speakers, and from where we took the following interventions:

Protocell compartments. Dr. Dora Tang, Max-Plank Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics:

“Role of compartmentalisation in regulation of biochemical reactions”.

Programming self-assembly, replication and catalysis with minimal nucleobase sequences. Prof. Andres de la Escosura, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid:

“Our new supramolecular and nanostructured hybrid materials open an opportunity to study complex biological functions”.

Supramolecular peptide assemblies for reactions and catalysis. Dr. Silvia Marchesan, University of Trieste:

“Establishing control over self-organisation of molecules to develop supramolecular assemblies”.

Bistable and oscillatory behavior in replication networks out of equilibrium. Prof. Gonen Ashkenasy, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev:

“Understanding the organisational principles of biological systems”.

Did you miss the event and want to know more from the scientists? A new video with a compilation of a few highlights from the Symposium is ready to watch on the CLASSY YouTube channel.

Latest CLASSY publications: new results on catalysis and oligomerisation

April 24, 2023April 24, 2023 by accelwpadmin

Our CLASSY team is making progress towards its aim of emulating living cells in their capacity to self-regulate and catalyse multistep processes. The latest results are out, this time from the CLASSY members in the Wennemers Group at ETH Zurich.

Our results provide basic insights into the principles of catalysis and oligomerization which are key processes for the evolution of life. They are the first step in creating molecular assembly lines for the construction of complex molecules from simple individual components – a goal at the heart of CLASSY.

Dr. Bartosz Lewandowski, Senior Scientist in the Wennemers Group at ETH Zurich

Published in Nature Synthesis, under the lead of Dr. Bartosz Lewandowski, the study titled Catalytic length-controlled oligomerization with synthetic programmable templates provides insights into the principles of catalysis and oligomerization. These represent a first step in creating molecular assembly lines for the construction of complex molecules from simple components, as says Dr. Bartosz Lewandowski.

Molecular templates allow to assemble a precise number of molecules into an oligomeric product of specific length. Nature uses this strategy, for example, to prepare RNA using a DNA strand as a template. Inspired by nature, chemists have also been able to make oligomers with length control in the laboratory using synthetic, man-made templates. However, a common limitation of this approach is that an equivalent amount of the template with respect to the product formed needs to be used. Lewandowski and colleagues created the first example of catalytic templates for length-controlled oligomer synthesis. Only 10 mol% of the template suffices to achieve complete conversion of a small molecule starting material, predominantly to a single product of specific length.

Read all about the study in: Lewandowski, B.M., Schmid, D., Borrmann, R., Zetschok, D., Schnurr, M., Wennemers, H. Catalytic length-controlled oligomerization with synthetic programmable templates. Nat. Synth., 2023, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-022-00228-9

What I really enjoyed during this project is how we build on the detailed knowledge of our peptide catalysts to develop a novel transformation which gives access to versatile building blocks.

Alena Budinská, Doctoral Researcher in the Wennemers Group at ETH Zurich

As part of her Doctoral Research, Alena Budinská has been working on the organocatalytic synthesis of triflones. Published in the Angewandte Chemie International Edition, her work titled Organocatalytic Synthesis of Triflones Bearing Two Non-Adjacent Stereogenic Centers builds on the Wennemers Group’s detailed knowledge of peptide catalysts. The publication was highlighted in the latest issue of Synfacts (a journal that publishes highlights of the most significant current research written by experts in the field) and was among the most accessed in Angewandte Chemie in March 2023.

Trifluoromethylsulfones, also referred to as triflones, are useful compounds for their properties and reactivity. However, there are not many ways to make chiral triflones. This study presents a new organocatalytic method for the stereoselective synthesis of chiral triflones using α-aryl vinyl triflones, building blocks previously unexplored in asymmetric synthesis. Budinská’s work shows that the peptide catalyst gives access to a broad range of products in high yields and stereoselectivities under mild reaction conditions. The products can be easily transformed into various heterocycles, which are common motives in bioactive molecules, thus making these results relevant for the creation of new medicinal products and other substances.

Read the full study in: Alena Budinská and Helma Wennemers. Organocatalytic Synthesis of Triflones Bearing Two Non-Adjacent Stereogenic Centers. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202300537, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202300537

Curious to learn more about the other results of the CLASSY project? Visit our Results page to learn more and follow @CLASSY_H2020 to stay tuned on the upcoming project updates.

How can we communicate about our research? A training session for CLASSY’s early-career researchers

April 3, 2023 by accelwpadmin

On Friday 24 March, the early-career researchers involved in the CLASSY and CORENET projects had the opportunity to explore the basics of science communication and how to transform scientific information into engaging narratives. The accelopment team, who are partners in both projects, shared some of their expertise as communications leads in EU-funded projects through a two-hour training session on science communication.

The online training module was organised for both the CLASSY and CORENET projects to build upon their synergies in terms of team members and research topics. Both led by the Biohybrid Materials and Systems Chemistry Research group of Prof. Andres de la Escosura (UAM), involving the collaboration with Prof. Wilhelm Huck’s group (RU) and accelopment in the lead of their communication, dissemination and exploitation activities, they are highly innovative projects pushing beyond the state of the art in chemical sciences and funded under the EIC and FET-Open programmes, respectively. As the accelopment team has been developing its Transferable Skills Training Programme specifically designed for early-career researchers, it was now a great opportunity to bring together the two projects and help enhance the promotion of their research.

Customised to the participants’ interests and needs, the session focused on translating complex concepts into accessible information for diverse audiences. Starting from the basics of good science communication, the interactive session included tips for writing news pieces, practical examples of how to create appealing videos and some brushstrokes on social media, guiding the participants on how to start introducing themselves and their research to the community. As just a first peak into the broad world of science communication, the session aimed to expand the PhD students and Postdoc’s communication skillset, to hopefully benefit them throughout their current research projects and future careers.

Communicating science to a broad range of audiences is a valuable skill that is becoming more and more important for ESRs, especially in the digital age with the increase of digital communication channels and platforms. So now is the time to go for new communication actions to showcase the latest advances in the field of chemical sciences and increase the network of the early-career researchers involved in both projects.

Follow @CLASSY_H2020 to stay tuned on the upcoming project updates and to see the first outcomes of the training session.

The CLASSY consortium meets in Madrid

June 21, 2022 by accelwpadmin

On the 16^th and 17^th June 2022, the CLASSY team finally had the opportunity to meet in person again, in sunny Madrid. It was the first in person meeting since the 2019 Kick-off Meeting in Zürich. Fifteen participants, including PIs and early-career researchers from the CLASSY consortium, met at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) to exchange on and discuss the project’s ongoing outputs and to plan the next steps.

The General Assembly (GA), on 16^th June, provided the opportunity for updates from all scientific work packages, with presentations on research progress in systems chemistry from Andrés de la Escosura (UAM) and Gonen Ashkenasy (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; BGU), in bio- and organo-catalysis from Stefan Simic, Mathias Pickl (Universität Graz; UG) and Bartosz Lewandowski (ETH Zürich; ETH), and in microfluidics from Miglė Jakštaitė, Wilhelm Huck (Radboud University Nijmegen; RU) and Elwin Vrouwe (Micronit B.V.; MICRONIT).

Prof. Germán Rivas (Centro de Investigationes Biologicas; CSIC), member of the project’s Scientific Advisory Board, joined the GA bringing inspiring insights on his research group’s latest results of implementing cell-like processes to mimic cell division.

Throughout the day, all participants were able to take part in scientific discussions and to consider how to bring them to the next level during a session on exploitation and funding opportunities for future projects organized by Jeanette Müller and Emily Rose Ciscato from the accelopment Schweiz AG (accelCH) team. Many ideas for future communication, dissemination and exploitation were also generated during an interactive brainstorming session organised by Yulianna Shalenyk (accelCH), to close the day.

The project’s Review Meeting took place on the following day, during which the consortium was joined remotely by the EC Project Officer and external experts, who provided insightful guidance and recommendations for progress in all work packages.

With new inspiration from the General Assembly and Review Meeting, the CLASSY team is now even more motivated for the next steps in bringing forward life-inspired replication in the lab. Watch this space and follow @CLASSY_H2020 on Twitter for the latest project updates!

Latest CLASSY publications to kick-off 2022

March 7, 2022January 25, 2022 by accelwpadmin

Did you miss the last publications from the CLASSY consortium? Find an overview of all 2021 publications below, including the latest contribution from the group of Prof. Wolfgang Kroutil at UG now included in the January 2022 issue of Chemical Reviews.

Anil Kumar Bandela, Nathaniel Wagner, Hava Sadihov, Sara Morales-Reina, Agata Chotera-Ouda, Kingshuk Basu, Rivka Cohen-Luria, Andrés de la Escosura, Gonen Ashkenasy. Primitive selection of the fittest emerging through functional synergy in nucleopeptide networks. PNAS. 2021, 118 (9) e2015285118; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015285118

Michael Teders, Aleksandr A. Pogodaev, Glenn Bojanov, Wilhelm T. S. Huck. Reversible Photoswitchable Inhibitors Generate Ultrasensitivity in Out-Of-Equilibrium Enzymatic Reactions. JACS. 2021, 143 (15), 5709–5716; DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c12956

Christoph Winkler, Stefan Simić, Valentina Jurkaš, Sarah Bierbaumer, Luca Schmermund, Silvan Poschenrieder, Sarah A. Berger, Elisa Kulterer, Robert Kourist, and Wolfgang Kroutil. Accelerated Reaction Engineering of Photo(bio)catalytic Reactions through Parallelization with an Open-Source Photoreactor. ChemPhotoChem 2021, 05, DOI: 10.1002/cptc.202100109

Helma Wennemers, Leo D. M. Nicholls. Synergistic Peptide and Gold Catalysis: Enantioselective Addition of Branched Aldehydes to Allenamides. Chem. Eur. J. 2021, 03, DOI: 10.1002/chem.202103197

Stefan Simić, Erna Zukić, Luca Schmermund, Kurt Faber, Christoph K. Winkler, and Wolfgang Kroutil. Shortening Synthetic Routes to Small Molecule Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Employing Biocatalytic Methods. Chem. Rev. 2022, 122, 1, 1052-1126, DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00574

CLASSY featured in the EU GrantsAccess Science Stories

March 7, 2022October 11, 2021 by accelwpadmin

CLASSY was featured in the EU GrantsAccess Science Stories issue last July, 2021. Prof. Helma Wennemers and PhD candidate Jasper Möhler (ETH), explain the role of their team within the CLASSY project and their contribution in terms of peptide expertise.

If you’re curious to hear about their progress in the lab, how they’re collaborating with the other CLASSY partners and what the next steps are in the project, read the full interview “Increased sustainability through combinational chemistry” (in English) and watch the accompanying video (in German).

CLASSY PhD student awarded Scholarship Fund of the Swiss Chemical Industry (SSCI)

March 7, 2022July 15, 2021 by accelwpadmin

PhD student Alena Budinska was recently awarded a scholarship that supports her research on ”Stereoselective Organocatalytic α-Alkylation of Aldehydes’’ as part of Prof. Helma Wennemers group at ETH Zürich, and through which she contributes to the CLASSY project. The Scholarship Fund of the Swiss Chemical Industry (SSCI) is a joint initiative of ETH Zürich with Janssen AG, Clariant International AG and Givaudan Schweiz AG. It is annually awarded to outstanding doctoral students from the Department of Chemistry and Applied Sciences at ETH.

Our warmest congratulations to Alena for this recognition of top-notch research.

New CLASSY publication in PNAS

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021 by accelwpadmin

Exciting news from Andrés de la Escosura’s team at UAM and Gonen Ashkenasy’s team at BGU: their first CLASSY results have just been published in PNAS. Getting one step further towards understanding the processes at the origin of life, the published results reveal a successful attempt at replicating simple nucleopeptide chimeras. The authors identified mechanisms of selective replication processes that may be realted to those that led to the emergence of biological assemblies, such as ribosomes and viruses. Read all about their findings in: Anil Kumar Bandela, Nathaniel Wagner, Hava Sadihov, Sara Morales-Reina, Agata Chotera-Ouda, Kingshuk Basu, Rivka Cohen-Luria, Andrés de la Escosura, Gonen Ashkenasy. Primitive selection of the fittest emerging through functional synergy in nucleopeptide networks. PNAS. 2021, 118 (9) e2015285118; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015285118

First CLASSY review meeting successfully held online

December 21, 2020December 1, 2020 by accelwpadmin

The COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting the work of our CLASSY partners throughout the year, with periods of complete lab closures or limited access to analytical facilities. Nonetheless, most research progress is well on track and a successful review meeting was held online today with the REA Project Officer and external expert reviewers. The meeting provided all partners with the opportunity to present their latest results and engage in fruitful scientific discussions. Thanks to the helpful recommendations and advice received from the Project Officer and external expert reviewers, we are now even more motivated for the next steps of this exciting project. Stay tuned, we look forward to sharing more research updates with you soon.

New CLASSY conference presentations

December 21, 2020August 30, 2020 by accelwpadmin

Our partners are making the most of the virtual conference opportunities, with several posters already presented earlier this year and more to come in the next weeks and months. Find all of the latest CLASSY results on our dedicated page, here.