The Development of a Colorimetric Competitive Displacement Assay for the Evaluation of Catalytic Peptides

Authors

Anneliese Gest, Macalester CollegeFollow

Document Type

Honors Project On-Campus Access Only

Abstract

Synthetic peptides offer a rich source of robust and selective catalysts, given their inherent chirality and ease of synthesis. A limitation to exploring large sequence spaces is the evaluation of catalytic efficacy. We have developed a colorimetric competitive displacement assay to monitor reaction progress and, thus, evaluate the activity of potential catalysts for direct aldol reactions. The assay has been designed such that the aldol product displaces a dye from a receptor, resulting in a change in the absorbance of the dye that is used to monitor reaction progress. This assay provides an efficient colorimetric method for evaluating catalytic peptides.

Recommended Citation

Gest, Anneliese, "The Development of a Colorimetric Competitive Displacement Assay for the Evaluation of Catalytic Peptides" (2017). Chemistry Honors Projects. 15.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/chem_honors/15