Faculty

Julius Rebek Jr. 
SKAGGS INSTITUTE, DIRECTOR
Professor
SKAGGS INSTITUT
TSRI - 1996

Joint Appointments 
CHEMISTRY

Education 
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1970

Awards & Activities 
NIH Merit Award, 1996;
James Flack Norris Award in Physical Organic Chemistry, ACS, 1997;
American Association for Advancement of Science Fellow, 2000;
Hungarian Academy of Science, 2001.



Named Lectureships: Kilpatrick Lecturer, Illinois Institute of Technology, 1996; Lord Lectureship, Allegheny College, 1996; Watkins Lectureship, Wichita State University, 1997; Hirschman Lecturer, Oberlin College, 1998; Oersted Lecturer, Technical University of Denmark at Lyngby, 1998; S.C. Lind Lectureship, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1998; Lyle Dawson Lecturer, University of Kentucky, 1998; Reynold Fuson Lectureship, University of Nevada, Reno, 1999; Brantford Chemicals Distinguished Lecturer, Queen's University, Canada, 1999; David Ginsburg Memorial Lecture, Israel Institute of Technology, Israel, 2000; 2nd Annual Schlemper Distinguished Lecture in Chemistry, University of Missouri, 2000; Priestley Lecturer, Pennsylvania State University, 2000; Martino Steer Memorial Lecturer, Modena University, Italy, 2000; Johnson Lecturer, Yale University, 2001; Lipscomb Lecturer, University of South Carolina, 2001; Gomberg Lecturer, University of Michigan, 2001; Jack Fox Lecture, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 2001.



Editorial Advisory Boards: Journal of Molecular Recognition, 1987-1995; Chemtracts, 1987-1996; Accounts of Chemical Research, 1996-1998; Current Editorial Advisory Boards, Tetrahedron Publications: Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters; Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry; Journal of the Chemical Society Perkin Transactions; Chemistry and Biology; Journal of Organic Chemistry;
Current Opinion in Chemistry Biology; Progress in Physical Organic Chemistry; Journal of Supramolecular Chemistry.

Research Focus 
Molecular Studies

Studies In Molecular Recognition
We have developed a series of synthetic receptors for small biorelevant molecular targets. These systems are cleft-like structures with the concave linings that feature functional groups that converge. This array of functional groups provides the complementarity in size, shape and chemical surface for the target molecules of interest. Specific complexes include nucleic acid components, amino acids and metal ions.

Molecular Self-Assembly
We have recently developed a series of molecular capsules which self-assemble in the presence of appropriate guest species. These have been prepared in a variety of sizes, from those appropriate for encapsulation of methane to those capable of encapsulating adamantane and ferrocene derivatives. Current research is focused on the use of these capsules as reaction chambers for reagents of suitable size and shape. A capsule for disk-shaped reactants (quinone and cyclohexadiene) is shown below.

Combinatorial Chemistry
We have devised a means by which a large number of small molecules can be generated through combinatorial methods. The tactic involves taking a relatively rigid core structure with several identical functional groups and reacting it with chemical complements as a mixture. We have prepared solutions of approximately 100,000 components by this method and have devised screening algorithms to identify the most active structures for a given biological target. Current research revolves around the design of new core structures which present functional groups in increasingly diverse orientations.

Selected References 
J.M. Rivera, S.L. Craig, T. Martin, J. Rebek, Jr. Chiral Guests and their Ghosts in Reversibly-Assembled Hosts. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. , 2000, 39, 2130-2132.

F. Hof, C. Nuckolls, S.L. Craig, T. Martin, J. Rebek, Jr. Emergent Conformational Preferences of a Self-Assembling Small Molecule: Structure and Dynamics in a Tetrameric Capsule. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 10991-10996.


P.L. Wash, A.R. Renslo, J. Rebek, Jr. Isolated Acid/Base Complexes in Solution Put the Brakes on Nitrogen Inversion. Angew. Chemie. Int. Ed. Engl. 2000, 40, 1221-1222.

L. Somogyi, G. Haberhauer, J. Rebek, Jr. Improved Synthesis of Functionalized Molecular Platforms Related to Marine Cyclopeptides. Tetrahedron, 2000, 57, 1699-1708.