Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis

The research done last semester was on solid-phase peptide synthesis. The technique of solid-phase peptide synthesis consists of molecules that are bound to a solid frame and using protected amino acids, the peptide is synthesized step-by-step, obtaining large yields with excess reagents. This technique was used to create a peptide that mimics the membrane-proximal region of HIV-1 gp41 which plays a role in membrane fusion. The goal is to eventually introduce fluorescein labels to this peptide that will make it easier to run tests on. Ultimately, solid-phase peptide synthesis will allow the simplicity, speed, and efficiency of the reactions taking place in a single reaction vessel. The research has applicability in medicine, allowing for greater exploration with enzymes, hormones, and antibodies which simplifies it so that it is compatible on a large scale. This allows for feasible tests that can be run on large scales to understand this disease better