Severin T. Schneebeli

Purdue University

Hosted By: Yan Zhao

**Organic Seminar**

Abstract:

Supramolecular Chemistry to Advance Pharmaceutical Peptide/Protein Biotechnology

Peptide drugs represent a rapidly growing segment of the pharmaceutical market. Like antibody drugs, peptides can target key protein-protein interactions, which is difficult to accomplish with small-molecule drugs. Additional key advantages of peptide drugs include their modular synthesis, their metabolism into generally non-toxic amino acids, their relatively low immunogenicity, and the ability to readily prepare libraries. Yet, major challenges remain with peptide drugs that are mostly related to their proteolytic stability and reduced ability to cross cellular membranes. These major ADME-related challenges have not only made it difficult for peptide drugs to reach intracellular targets but have also limited desirable oral formulations of peptide drugs. To meet these challenges, research in the Schneebeli lab is focused on discovering new high-throughput selection approaches for identifying optimal peptide sequences that are not only able to selectively bind their therapeutic targets but also display more favorable ADME properties. To reach this goal, we make use of new sequencing tools driven by supramolecular chemistry advances in our laboratory. This seminar will provide an overview of our new supramolecular tools with a highlight on how to synthetically access them, while also providing a road map outlining their applications for next-generation sequencing of pharmaceutical peptide/protein libraries.

Bio:

Severin is originally from Zurich, Switzerland. He received his B.A. Degree in Chemistry from the University of Zurich, and his Ph.D. Degree in Chemistry from Columbia University. As an IIN Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University, Severin worked with 2016 Chemistry Nobel laureate Sir Fraser Stoddart on the synthesis and computational modeling of advanced molecular machines. Since 2022 he has worked as an Associate Professor at Purdue University in the Departments of Chemistry and Industrial & Molecular Pharmaceutics (IMPH). Before moving to Purdue, Dr. Schneebeli started his independent career at the University of Vermont Chemistry Department as a faculty member and the Director of the Materials Science Program. Severin’s research expertise lies in organic synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, and multiscale computer modeling to advance protein biotechnology, specifically for the formulation and delivery of peptide and protein drugs. Severin is the recipient of a 2018 ARO Young Investigator Award, a 2019 NSF CAREER Award, a 2020 Thieme Chemistry Journals Award, and a 2022 ESI MIRA Award from the NIH.