UC Berkeley

The development of new tools to modify biomolecules is critical in the field of chemical biology to the development of novel techniques and materials. The increased complexity of the desired systems necessitates further regulation over how and where those modifications take place. To do so, there is a need for new scaffolds and reactions that enable spatial control and reaction simplicity in addition to the high efficiency and speed provided by existing reactions. This work elaborates on the development of new scaffolds to use, in addition to reactions that allow for those increased levels of control. An inspiration that guided much of this research is the precision and energy afforded by light. Using principles of photochemistry, progress was made to providing photobleaching protection to a light harvesting system developed in the lab. To further expand the potential of that system for new applications, the underlying scaffold - tobacco mosaic virus - was modified to incorporate a new reactive handle at its bottom face. The use of the oxidative coupling reaction of ortho aminophenols with periodate led to the development of a light-triggered and spatially controlled reaction that enabled the patterning of substrates on surfaces. The use of an oxidant in this reaction also led to the development of a shelf stable alternative to the easily oxidized aminophenol required for oxidative coupling.