Understanding how Fe/2OG enzymes make pharmacophores like cyclopropane, aziridine, and isonitrile groups
Official title: Understanding How Nonheme Iron-Dependent Enzymes Assemble Pharmacophores: Studies of Cyclopropane, Aziridine, and Isonitrile Formation
Funded at North Carolina State University Raleigh · NIH-11517102 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project at a university aims to uncover how nonheme-iron enzymes create key drug-building rings and groups to help develop better biocatalysts and medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina State University Raleigh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Raleigh, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2018 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $124,995 |
| NIH project number | 3R01GM127588-08S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11517102 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not a direct patient-involved study; this is a basic science grant focused on enzyme function.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient benefit at this stage, as the work is about enzyme discovery and characterization.
What this research studies
This project explores how specific iron-dependent enzymes help form important three-membered rings and isonitrile groups found in many drugs. Using bioinformatics and retro-biosynthetic analysis, the team will identify enzymes with cyclopropanase, aziridinase, and isonitrilase activities from large enzyme families. The work involves characterizing enzyme functions, catalysis, and potential applications in organic synthesis and biocatalysis. The research could pave the way for new drug-building tools that operate under mild, protein-based conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could enable faster, greener production of complex drug molecules using biocatalysts.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary results show feasibility in identifying Fe/2OG enzymes with the targeted activities, indicating potential for further development.
Where this research is happening
-
North Carolina State University Raleigh
Raleigh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chang, Wei-Chen — North Carolina State University Raleigh
- Study coordinator: Chang, Wei-Chen
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.