Leon C. Johnson Professor of Chemistry
Department Chair
Ph.D. Harvard University, 1982
(Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry)
(206) 543-1613
Email: chair@chem.washington.edu
Bioorganic chemistry is the chemistry of life. The Hopkins’ group brings the experimental techniques and theories of modern organic chemistry to bear on problems of structure and reactivity involving Nature’s molecules. Current projects probe the secrets of Nature’s most magnificent molecules, the proteins and nucleic acids. The small molecules that have predominated in the history of organic chemistry as a discipline invariably play pivotal roles in the projects.
Students in Hopkins’ group are exposed to a variety of experimental and theoretical techniques, and learn to think about problems from a variety of perspectives. Electron paramagnetic resonance, gel electrophoresis, and automated solid phase synthesis are as likely to be used as the think layer chromatography plate or infrared spectrometer of classical organic chemistry. It is no coincidence that so many organic chemists are exploring biological problems: it is a field of great excitement!
"A Mechlorethamine-Induced Interstrand Cross-Link Bends Duplex DNA.", S. M. Rin, P. B. Hopkins, Biochemistry, 34 1439 (1995).
"Monitoring DNA Dynamics Using Spin-Labels With Different Independent Mobilities.", E. J. Hustedt, J. J. Kirchner, A. Spaltenstein, P. B. Hopkins and B. H. Robinson, Biochemistry, 34 4369 (1995).
"FR66979 Requires Reductive Activation to Cross-Link DNA Efficiently.", H. Huang, S. R. Rajski, R. M. Williams, and P. B. Hopkins, Tetrahedron Lett., 35 9669 (1995).
"DNA-DNA Interstrand Cross-Linking by cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum(II): N7(dG)-to-N7(dG) Cross-Linking at 5'-d(GC) in Synthetic Oligonucleotides.", H. Huang, J. Woo, S. C. Alley and P. B. Hopkins, Bioorg. Med. Chem., 3 659 (1995). (invited contribution)
"A Probe for Sequence-Dependent Nucleic Acid Dynamics.", T. R. Miller, S. C. Alley, A. Reese, M. S. Solomon, W. McCallister, C. Mailer, B. H. Robinson, and P. B. Hopkins, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 117 9377 (1995).
American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) Fellow
Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award
Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Searle Scholar
National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellow