Eric V. Anslyn

anslyn@austin.utexas.edu

University Distinguished Teaching Professor, Faculty
Norman Hackerman Professorship in Chemistry

Research Group

The Anslyn Group

Education

BS, California State University - Northridge, 1982
PhD, California Institute of Technology, 1987

Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (1994-6)

Awards

Runner-Up, Professor of the Year, UT Student Associates, Jan. 2011

2010 Regent’s Teaching Award Recipient, Across the Univ. Texas System, Aug. 11^th 2010

Ramshorn Mark of Excellence, From Dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering, Oct. 29^th 2009

Faculty Service Award, College of Natural Science, 2008
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2006
Cope Scholar (Spring), 2006
Hamilton Textbook Award, University Co-Op, 2006
Graduate Teaching Award, UT Austin, 2003
Election to Academy of Distinguished Teachers, UT Austin, 2000

Affiliations

Beckman Center for the Design and Fabrication of Sensor Arrays; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology; IGERT: Optical Biomedical Engineering; Environmental Science Institute; Texas Materials Institute

Understanding Molecular Interactions Using Bioorganic and Supramolecular Chemistry

My research group is interested in the physical and bioorganic chemistry of synthetic and natural receptors and molecular recognition. Using a combination of synthesis, combinatorial techniques, NMR, kinetics, computer modeling, and optical signaling, we design and implement studies oriented at the development of receptors for numerous real world applications. In specific, we focus upon receptors for diols, catechols, carbohydrates, enolates, and enantiomeric excess using single and multi-analyte sensing ensembles.

   
To this end, our group works on synthetic and designed receptors for the analysis of complex analytes in real-life settings by mimicking the mammalian senses of taste and smell.  As a means of developing sensors, we are pursuing the formation of combinatorial libraries of peptidic and non-peptidic structures augmented with elements of rational chemical design.  We have used receptors designed this way to generate fingerprints that differentiate between the individual members of a targeted class of molecules.  These types of receptors can be used to determine the identify of mixtures, enantiomeric excess of a reaction, or identify analytes in a mixture.
     
Finally, we are also pursuing the use of polymers and other large molecules for the creation of multicomponent assemblies that can be used in multianalyte sensing applications.  Different portions of the assembly impart the differential behavior and cross-reactivity, as well as bias toward the central recognition element for the target class of molecules.  While our group works in many different areas, each of our projects relies upon the principles of supramolecular, organic, and biological chemistry, to unite them together.

 

Representative Publications

“Rapid Determination of Enantiomeric Excess of alpha-Chiral Cyclohexanones Using Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy” Leung, D.; Anslyn, E.V. Org. Lett. 2011, 9, 2298-2301.
   
“Synthesis and Evaluation of Quinoxaline Derivatives as Potential Influenza NS1A Protein Inhibitors” You, L; Cho, E.J.; Leavitt, J.; Ma, J.C.; Montelione, G.; Anslyn, E.V.; Krug, R.M.; Ellington, A.; Robertus, J.D. Biooorg. Med. Chem. 2011, 21, 3007-3011.
   
“Chemical Functionalization of Oligodeoxynucleotides with Multiple Boronic Acids for the Polyvalent Binding of Saccharides” Hargrove, A.E.; Ellington, A.D.; Anslyn, E.V.; Sessler, J. Bioconj. Chem. 2011, 22, 388.
   
“Discimination of Flavonoids and Red Wine Varietals by Arrays of Differential Peptidic Sensors” Umali, A. LeBoeuf, Sarah E.; Newberry, Robert W.; Kim, Siwon; Tran, Lee; Rome, Whitney A.; Tian, Tian; Taing, David; Hong, Jane; Kwan, Melissa, Heymann, Hildegarde; Anslyn, E.V. Chem. Sci. 2011, 2, 439-445.