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SUMMARY:PLENARY ISIC SEMINAR: Chemistry on the Brain:  Understanding the N
 icotine Receptor
DTSTART:20131204T171500
DTEND:20131204T183000
DTSTAMP:20260610T170144Z
UID:5af7c3d72664d8fed9f7cb39877b5970350e27ae6362e93a140842d4
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Professor Dennis Dougherty\, George Grant Hoag Professor of Ch
 emistry\, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering\nCalifornia Insti
 tute of Technology\,\nPasadena\, California\, USA\nThe human brain is the 
 most complex object known to man.  It presents daunting challenges at all
  levels\, from the anatomical\, to the cellular\, to the molecular. Our wo
 rk seeks to provide a chemical-scale understanding of the molecules of mem
 ory\, thought\, and sensory perception\; of Alzheimer’s\, Parkinson’s\
 , and schizophrenia. An area of particular interest has been the chemistry
  of nicotine addiction.  The initial chemical event of nicotine addiction
  involves nicotine binding to and activating acetylcholine (ACh) receptors
  in the brain. Using the mindset and methodologies of physical organic che
 mistry\, we have probed these complex membrane proteins with a precision a
 nd subtlety normally associated with small molecule studies. We have estab
 lished that the cation-π interaction plays a pivotal role in promoting th
 e high potency of nicotine in the brain\, leading to its addictive propert
 ies. We have also discovered key hydrogen bonding interactions that unique
 ly contribute to the binding of nicotine to ACh receptors.  These chemica
 l studies provide a high-precision structural model for the interaction of
  potent drugs at brain receptors.
LOCATION:CM 1 2 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==CM%201%202
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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