Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Arthur Tran

Synthesis of Hetero-bifunctional PROTAC Derivative

For the summer, I’ve been working on the synthesis of a molecular linker that connects two different drug known as a PROTAC, or proteolysis targeting chimera. One drug at the end of this linker is a thalidomide derivative, which can bind to the E3 ubiquitin ligase cereblon (a protein in the cell that can mark other proteins for degradation). The other drug is a known suppressor of the YAP-TEAD complex in the cell, which is associated with hepatomegaly and tumorigenesis.

Message To Sponsor

Working in this lab, without a doubt, has been the highlight of my entire undergraduate career. I am incredibly grateful for having such an amazing mentor and being able to constantly learn outside of a lecture hall. This experience has definitely shaped my goals for the future and reaffirmed my decision to study chemistry.