Pharmaceutical companies need to make drugs quickly. They need to produce chemical compounds in large amounts. And they need these compounds to have as few harmful side effects as possible. But in reality, many chemical reactions are imperfect and inefficient. Click chemistry is a revolutionary process that allows scientists to cleanly and quickly uncover more sustainable sources for potential new drugs and other synthetic materials. The term comes from chemicals “clicking” together like LEGO bricks. It was coined by K. Barry Sharpless, a pioneer in the field.
Sharpless isn’t just a two-time Nobel laureate. He was also a mentor to two Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists, Cancer Center Director David Tuveson and Professor John Moses. On March 2, CSHL hosted a symposium celebrating the work of Sharpless and exploring “The Future of Click Chemistry.” The event featured the field’s top minds from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, including Sharpless and Moses. Researchers presented their latest advances, pointing to many exciting new directions for the field. Event sponsor Medical Excellence Capital (MEC) announced a $100,000 donation to support click chemistry research in CSHL’s Moses and Tuveson labs. Meanwhile, Sharpless stood approvingly alongside his former apprentices.
CSHL Professor John E. Moses and collaborator two-time Nobel laureate K. Barry Sharpless demonstrate click chemistry in action, synthesizing a helical polymer in a matter of minutes.
From Moses’ perspective, the “future of click chemistry” is largely owed to his mentor’s groundbreaking work. Sharpless’ achievements, he said, “opened the doors to revolutionary advances in science, medicine, and drug discovery. His legacy is a testament to the power of simplicity and precision in science, promising new horizons in healthcare.”
It’s a legacy that Professors Tuveson and Moses are excited to uphold and build upon for many years to come.
Written by: Luis Sandoval, Communications Specialist | sandova@cshl.edu | 516-367-6826