Professor Graeme Cooke

Development of artificial flavosynzymes with catalysis and electron transfer applications

We are currently developing artificial flavoenzymes that can mimic the structure and function of the natural enzyme. in particular we are utilising a range of synthetic macromolecular and nanoparticle based scaffolds featuring flavin cofactors attached to appropriate positions of these frameworks. We are investigating whether these assemblies have the propensity to undergo simple redox reactions in a similar fashion to their biological brethren. More recently we are investigating the use of these flavosynzymes in unnatural electron transfer applications such as photovoltaics.

Agasti, SS.; Caldwell, ST.; Cooke, G; Jordan, BJ.; Kennedy, A; Kryvokhyzha, N; Rabani, G; Rana, S; Sanyal, A;. Rotello, VM “Dendron-based model systems for flavoenzyme activity: towards a new class of synthetic flavoenzyme” Chemical Communications, 2008, 4123-4125.

Jordan, BJ.; Cooke, G; Garety, JF.; Pollier, MA.; Kryvokhyzha, N; Bayir, A; Rabani, G; Rotello, VM. “Polymeric model systems for flavoenzyme activity: towards synthetic flavoenzymes”. Chemical Communications, 2007, 1248-1250.