DNA Encoded Chemical Libraries for G-quadruplex ligands selection

DNA & RNA can form secondary structures termed G-quadruplexes (G4) which are involved in the regulation of various cellular pathways and numerous human diseases.
To better understand and selectively hamper the biological functions of these structures, there is a need to identify G4 binding ligands of high specificity.
We have very recently started to develop novel strategies to identify such structure-specific G4 binding ligands.
One strategy relies on the use of DNA encoding during combinatorial chemistry (a concept known as DECL) to assemble and screen large libraries of putative ligands functionally enriched to bind G4 structures with high affinities.
This project therefore exploits synthetic chemistry (organic chemistry, combinatorial chemistry), molecular biology (DNA encoding, high-throughput sequencing) and biophysics (characterization of molecular interactions) within a collaborative effort to solve a medicinal chemistry challenge (targeting therapeutically relevant DNA/RNA structures). Students and post-docs are encouraged to contact us for research opportunities.

Recent collaborations:
F. Ducongé (CEA, Institut JACOB, Paris-Sud University) contributing with high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic analysis.
M. Demeunynck and I. Baussane (University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble) ; M. P. Teulade-Fichou and D. Verga (Institut Curie, Paris-Sud University) ;  M. Freccero and P. Doria (Pavia University, Italy) and J.-F. Riou (Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris) contributing with the synthesis of sophisticated heteroaromatic scaffolds.