Institute of Chemistry
Topic
Synthesis and Structural Optimization of Low-Molecular-Weight Enzyme Inhibitors with Potential Biological Activity
PhD. program
Organic chemistry
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
RNDr. Marek Baráth, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology
Annotation
Low-molecular-weight enzyme inhibitors represent an important class of biologically active compounds widely used in medicinal chemistry, biotechnology, and bioanalytical applications. Their activity is strongly dependent on molecular structure, spatial arrangement of functional groups, and the ability to selectively interact with enzyme active sites.
The aim of this PhD thesis is the design, synthesis, and chemical modification of a series of organic compounds with anticipated inhibitory activity toward selected classes of enzymes (e.g., hydrolases, oxidoreductases, or metalloproteases). The work will focus on systematic structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies, investigating the influence of electronic, steric, and coordination properties of substituents on biological performance.
The synthetic part of the thesis will include preparation of core inhibitor scaffolds, their subsequent derivatization, and optimization of reaction protocols with emphasis on selectivity, yield, and reproducibility. Structural characterization will be performed using standard organic chemistry techniques (NMR, IR, MS, elemental analysis). Biological evaluation will be conducted in collaboration with specialized laboratories.
The outcome of this work will be a library of novel or structurally optimized organic molecules with defined chemical structures and potential enzyme inhibitory activity, together with deeper insight into structure–function relationships.
The aim of this PhD thesis is the design, synthesis, and chemical modification of a series of organic compounds with anticipated inhibitory activity toward selected classes of enzymes (e.g., hydrolases, oxidoreductases, or metalloproteases). The work will focus on systematic structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies, investigating the influence of electronic, steric, and coordination properties of substituents on biological performance.
The synthetic part of the thesis will include preparation of core inhibitor scaffolds, their subsequent derivatization, and optimization of reaction protocols with emphasis on selectivity, yield, and reproducibility. Structural characterization will be performed using standard organic chemistry techniques (NMR, IR, MS, elemental analysis). Biological evaluation will be conducted in collaboration with specialized laboratories.
The outcome of this work will be a library of novel or structurally optimized organic molecules with defined chemical structures and potential enzyme inhibitory activity, together with deeper insight into structure–function relationships.