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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/L60968/02
Title: POLY-Y-D-GLUTAMIC ACID AS A TEMPLATE FOR FUNCTIONALISED WATER-SOLUBLE BIOMATERIALS
Principal Investigator: Bugg, Professor TDH
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: University of Warwick
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 July 1999 Ends: 30 September 2000 Value (£): 17,496
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Synthesis & Growth
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The proposed research involves the covalent modification of the bio-polymer poly-g-D-glutamic acid by biologically active ligands using a recently established procedure. Poly-g-D-glutamic acid will be modified with a sialic acid glycoside, to yield a polyvalent sialic acid conjugate which it is hoped will bind tightly to influenza virus haemagglutinin, and hence show activity against influenza virus infection. Poly-g-D-glutamic acid will also be modified by the antibiotic vancomycin, which functions by complexation of the peptidyl-D-Ala-D-Ala termini on bacterial cell surfaces. It is hoped that the polyvalent vacomycin binding will show enhanced activity against vancomycin-resistant bacterial strains.A poly-g-D-glutamic acid depolymerase enzyme which breaks down the polymer will also be studied in connection with possible applications of functionalised polymeric materials. The enzyme will be purified using a new continuous assay, and its ability to break down modified poly-g-D-glutamic acids studied. Possible applications of multi-valent poly-g-D-glutamic acid as affinity agents for protein purification will be examined.
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Organisation Website: http://www.warwick.ac.uk