Matt A. Peterson
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Office: C463 BNSN
Office Phone: 801-422-6843
Email: mapeterson@chem.byu.edu
Education
BS (Chemistry and Biology), Utah State University (1987)
Ph.D., University of Arizona (1992)
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Colorado State University (1993-94)
Research Interests
Research in our group focuses on the synthesis of modified nucleosides with potential antiviral or antitumoral activity. Recent efforts have focused on the synthesis of amide-linked ribonucleotide dimers. Oligonucleotides which contain amide-linked dimers have been shown to be resistant to nucleolytic degradation. This property makes these unnatural oligonucleotides of potential utility for antisense drug design. Future research is aimed at the synthesis of a new class of enediyne prodrugs. These compounds hold considerable potential as potent and selective antitumor agents.
Student Involvement/ Requirements
We try to maintain a steady state of four to five students at any given time, one to two of which will be undergraduates. Students work with me, post-docs, graduate students, and other undergraduates. All of the students are actively engaged in various aspects of the above research as well as in related methodological projects. Students are involved from the ground-up both in helping to design the syntheses as well as in their execution. Students gain valuable hands-on experience applying the techniques involved in modern synthetic organic chemistry. This training prepares them for careers in the pharmaceutical and/or agricultural chemical industries and in academia where they can continue to apply their skills in making new compounds with new and potentially undreamed of properties.
I take undergraduates in their junior year. Students should meet the following requirements in order to be considered for work in my lab:
1.) Chem 351, 352, 353
2.) 3.5 GPA
3.) At least a two year commitment.
The work is publication oriented and undergraduates do appear on publications. The research is funded by various sources.
Publications
Zhao, Z., Peng, Y., Dalley, N.K., Cannon, J.F., Peterson, M.A., “Bergman Cycloaromatization of Imidazole-Fused Enediynes: The Remarkable Effect of N-Aryl Substitution,” Tetrahedron Lett., 45, 3621-3624 (2004).
