The Popik Research Group
Organic Synthesis, Reaction Mechanisms, and Photochemistry
Vladimir V. Popik, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Georgia Cancer Coalition
Distinguished Scholar
Department of Chemistry
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
Phone (706) 542-1953
Fax (706) 542-9454
Research Interests
The research interests of our group are focused on the development of new methods of controlling the function of bioactive compounds with light. Photoactivation of drugs, enzymes, and other bio-molecules allows for achieving of the spatial and temporal control of their action. We design and synthesize compounds that are inactive in the dark but are converted into bioactive form upon irradiation with light of an appropriate wavelength. Our goal is to overcome the most common drawback of caged biomolecules, which are known to release bioactive substrates in the dark due to conventional or enzymatic hydrolysis. The non-photochemical reactions of photoactivatable compounds (hydrolysis, thermal decomposition, etc.) that we develop are very slow and do not result in activation of the substrate.
The UV and visible light is efficiently absorbed by muscle tissue and only red and near infrared (NIR) radiation has sufficient depth of penetration. Photons in this region, however, have relatively low energy, limiting the range of processes they can initiate. We are working on the development of the precursors that can be converted into an active form using nonresonant two-photon excitation. This approach allows us to use red/NIR light for activation in the UV region, while avoiding substrates sensitive to visible light, and therefore reducing accompanying phototoxicity.
Our group is also involved in the development of novel photocleavable protecting groups for in-vivo application and in investigation of the mechanisms of various photochemical reactions that are used in the design of novel photoswitchable bioactive compounds.
Current Research Projects
