Download Murray Baker project - About Research @ UWA : Research

Projects in the Baker Lab, School of Molecular Sciences, UWA
Supervisor: Prof Murray Baker. Both projects will be done in collaboration with PhD students.
Students will need some prior experience in organic laboratory chemistry.
Medicinal applications of transition metal complexes.
This project will examine the synthesis and reactions (including
kinetics) of new organometallic and coordination compounds. These
compounds are of interest as potential new treatments for cancer and
drug-resistant bacterial and fungal infections.
Au(I) is a soft metal centre that binds strongly to selenide groups, so
we are exploring the ability of complexes such as 1 to treat cancer by
inhibiting the selenium-containing enzyme thioredoxin reductase
selectively in cancer cells. Gold complexes such as 2 that contain two
Au(I) centres in close proximity are inherently fluorescent, and so we
are using fluorescence methods to explore the fate of these sorts of
compounds in cells, to learn about their mode of action.
OAc
1
O
AcO
AcO
N
Au
S
N
OAc
2
N
N N
2
Triazacyclohexanes (e.g. 3) and their metal complexes (e.g. 4) are
remarkably easy to synthesize. Complexes such as 4 have interesting
prospects as anti-cancer agents, by acting as devices to deliver
formaldehyde to cancer cells.
N
Au
Au
N N
N
N
N
N
N
3
N
N
Cl
N
Fe
Cl
Cl
4
Further information. Au project: Hickey, Baker, et al., J Am Chem Soc 2008, 130, 12570; Barnard,
Baker, et al., Angew Chem Int Ed 2006, 45, 5966; Barnard, Baker, et al., Dalton Trans 2004, 1038;
Baker, Williams, et al., Dalton Trans 2001, 111; Wedlock, Baker, et al., Dalton Trans 2016, 45,
12221. Triazacyclohexanes project: Armanasco, Baker, et al. Dalton Trans. 1998, 1145; D H
Brown, PhD Thesis, The University of Western Australia, 2001; A J Barnes, PhD Thesis, The
University of Western Australia, 2011; Baker et al. Inorg. Chem 1999, 38, 4515.
Biomaterials.
This project will examine the synthesis, morphology, and biodegradation of new polymers prepared
from simple precursors such as acrylates and amino acids. The goal of the project is to develop
polymers with that have biocompatibility, porosity, and biodegradation characteristics that make
them suitable for biomedical applications. Current targets include biodegradable polymers for use
as surgical adhesives (to replace sutures in surgery) and as porous sponges to support cell growth in
tissue engineering.
Further information, Paterson, Baker, Chirila, et al., J Polymer Sci A 2010, 48, 4084; Paterson,
Baker, Chirila, et al., Aust J Chem 2012, 65, 931; Baker, Brown, Casadio and Chirila, Polymer
2009, 50, 5918.