Themed collection 2023 RSC Chemical Biology Emerging Investigators
![](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/Ajax-GA-Loader.gif)
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Contributors to the RSC Chemical Biology Emerging Investigators Collection 2023
This article profiles the early career researchers whose work features in the RSC Chemical Biology Emerging Investigators Collection 2023.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2024,5, 397-400
https://doi.org/10.1039/D4CB90013H
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Sortase mediated protein ubiquitination with defined chain length and topology
We combine E1/E2-mediated ubiquitin chain extension and sortase compatible ubiquitin to demonstrate a method for robust generation of discrete polyubiquitin chains and use sortase-mediated ligation to conjugate them to proteins site-specifically.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2024,5, 321-327
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00229B
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Evaluating Riboglow-FLIM probes for RNA sensing
The Riboglow platform has a small molecule fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) sensor. Distinct cellular environments, like two different cell lines, lead to quantifiable FLIM differences.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2024,5, 109-116
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00197K
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
BrainBike peptidomimetic enables efficient transport of proteins across brain endothelium
BrainBikes, a new family of bicyclic brain shuttle peptides, can efficiently transport protein therapeutics across brain endothelium.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2024,5, 7-11
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00194F
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Evaluation of Kdo-8-N3 incorporation into lipopolysaccharides of various Escherichia coli strains
8-Azido-3,8-dideoxy-α/β-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo-8-N3) is a Kdo derivative used in metabolic labeling of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structures of Escherichia coli strains with varying efficiencies.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2023,4, 884-893
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00110E
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Red-shifted activity-based sensors for ethylene via direct conjugation of fluorophore to metal–carbene
Direction conjugation of a BODIPY fluorophore with the chelating ruthenium ligand result in red-shifted ethylene probes Con-BEP-4 and Con-BEP-5. Synthesis, photophysical properties, and live cell imaging studies are reported.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2023,4, 871-878
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00079F
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Amphiphilic dendrons as supramolecular holdase chaperones
Supramolecular capsules assembled from amphiphilic dendrons based on naphthyl and benzyl ethers exhibit chaperone-like activity by reducing the extent of fibrillation of an amyloid beta protein fragment.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2023,4, 754-759
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00086A
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Biosynthesis of the fungal nonribosomal peptide penilumamide A and biochemical characterization of a pterin-specific adenylation domain
The first biosynthetic characterization of a lumazine-containing nonribosomal peptide and the biochemical investigation of the respective adenylation domains is described.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2023,4, 748-753
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00088E
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Ancient and modern mechanisms compete in progesterone receptor activation
The progesterone receptor is activated by ligands utilizing both ancestral and modern mechanisms.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2024,5, 518-529
https://doi.org/10.1039/D4CB00002A
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Identification and engineering of potent cyclic peptides with selective or promiscuous binding through biochemical profiling and bioinformatic data analysis
In this work different methods stemming from mRNA display were investigated toward developing potent binding cyclic peptides with distinct selectivity profiles against targets of a related protein family.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2024,5, 12-18
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00168G
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Biosynthetic incorporation of fluorinated amino acids into the nonribosomal peptide gramicidin S
Since fluorinated compounds are vital in medicinal chemistry, incorporating fluorine into natural products is attracting interest. We enable incorporation of 4-fluoro-Phe into the nonribosomal peptide gramicidin S with a surgical mutation.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2023,4, 692-697
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00061C
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Click’n lock: rapid exchange between unsymmetric tetrazines and thiols for reversible, chemoselective functionalisation of biomolecules with on-demand bioorthogonal locking
Click’n lock describes a reaction system capable of switching on-demand from reversible to irreversible click reactions and is based on the chemoselective tetrazine–thiol exchange. Here, click’n lock is applied for dynamic modifications of peptides.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2023,4, 685-691
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00062A
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
A mitochondria-targeted chemiluminescent probe for detection of hydrogen sulfide in cancer cells, human serum and in vivo
Mitochondria-targeted chemiluminescent probe MCH enables visualization of hydrogen sulfide activity in cancer cells, human serum, and animal models.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2023,4, 675-684
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CB00070B
![Open Access](https://www.rsc-cdn.org/pubs-core/2022.0.147/content/NewImages/open-access-icon-orange.png)
Methylated guanosine and uridine modifications in S. cerevisiae mRNAs modulate translation elongation
Four new mRNA modifications were detected in S. cerevisiae by integrating an improved LC-MS/MS approach with an enhanced mRNA purification and validation process. Codons containing these modifications were further identified to impede translation.
RSC Chem. Biol., 2023,4, 363-378
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CB00229A
About this collection
RSC Chemical Biology is proud to present this special collection of invited contributions from early career researchers who are making significant contributions to the field of chemical biology.
Congratulations to all of the featured researchers! New articles will be added to this collection as they are published.