Caitlin Duncan

Hi Twitter, I’m Caitlin. PhD student in synthetic organic chemistry at Curtin University 👩‍🔬🧪

[Catherine Hay @hayitscathy]

Spent a fabulous day exploring Brisbane getting ready for #RACI2022 @CurtinChem

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@TB_Perth @MauroM3125 @CurtinChem Thanks Tom and thank you so much for all your help!

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

Check out some of my work on Calix[4]arenes as Organogelators!#RSCPoster #RSCOrg @MauroM3125 @CurtinChem

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@georginasauzier I think she thought she was helping, not hindering

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@debbiesilvester That’s good, it could’ve been a whole lot worse!

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@Furong_Lin @ismsc2020 @MauroM3125 Thanks for your question! This kind of HPV inhibition works by the calixarene binding to the surface of the L1 protein, which then results in the L1 protein being unable to assemble into the pentamer

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

Here’s part of my PhD work on the synthesis of calix[4]arenes for testing against Human Papillomavirus pentamer formation @ISMSC2020 #ISMSCPoster #macrocycles12 @MauroM3125
There is an image in the comments if you want to zoom in 😊

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@alhaddad_nancy @ismsc2020 @MauroM3125 Thank you 😊 I would expect my calixarenes would interact through either ionic or H bonding. I have made other compounds to see if the calixarene is important for the activity, and that will likely help determine if there are also hydrophobic interactions occurring with the calix

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@LambertSimon18 @ismsc2020 @MauroM3125 Thank you! Previous work using calix[4]arenes and a pillar[5]arene functionalised with carboxylates has shown that they likely bind to an Arg residue. Since my compounds have the opposite charge to the carboxylate, it will be interesting to see what they do!

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@yingweiyang @NWhiteGroup @ismsc2020 @MauroM3125 Thanks, this is actually where the project originated from! It is nice to meet you 😊

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@Jrmie05546443 @ismsc2020 @MauroM3125 As for introducing them to the human body, I expect that depends on how active they are and how they behave in a biological system, so I am not sure at this stage 😀

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@Jrmie05546443 @ismsc2020 @MauroM3125 Thanks for your questions! Currently the project concept is very much in the investigation stage, with all testing on pentamer inhibition occurring in vitro. My compounds haven’t been tested just yet

[Caitlin Duncan @CDuncs97]

@cindym_hong @SupraMolChem @ismsc2020 @MauroM3125 Thank you 😊