IBAAC project is a supported 4 years long contract (2004-2008) with the European Commission as a “Marie Curie Action – Research and Training Network” of the 6th Framework Programme.
IBAAC contract number is MCRTN-CT-2003-505020
The main objective of the project "an Integrated Biomimetic Approach to Asymmetric Catalysis" is to develop a new approach to enantioselective catalysis. To acheive this, the network is focusing on:
- the design and the production of hybrid catalysts,
- high-throughput methodologies to screen and to optimize these for activity and selectivity,
- developping new catalytic enantioselective reactions.
A chemo-genetic approach is used to optimize both the activity and the selectivity of the catalysts. Chemical modification of the coenzyme and genetic modification of the host protein offer orthogonal optimization procedures, which allow producing large libraries of hybrid catalysts. Statistical tools will be applied to the optimization procedure to prevent the combinatorial explosion generated by the potentially gigantic diversity of the hybrid catalytic system. Beside adding experience and working forces to the project , the involvement of 2 industrial partners will give access to the state of the art combinatorial platforms for screening purposes.
As a Research and Training Network, IBAAC offers excellent training opportunities to PhD students and PostDocs in a living and multidisciplinary scientific network.
This network is built around 10 partners from 6 European countries (8 academic and 2 industrial partners). By the end of the project, there will be over 73 people from 14 countries involved in the project.
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