Objective
Drugs that are chiral due to slow bond rotation (atropisomeric) are becoming more prevalent, and atropisomerism is increasingly recognised as an asset rather than a hindrance in medicinal chemistry programmes. However, although some asymmetric routes to atropisomers are established, very few methods are applicable to ‘drug-like’ atropisomers – namely those that are heavily functionalised, hydrophilic and often heterocyclic target molecules, meaning that enantiomerically pure atropisomeric drug candidates are typically obtained by wasteful and inefficient resolution methods.
This proposal will address this problem by developing the concept of enzymatic deracemisation – discovered incidentally during an ERC AdG study of controlled molecular motion – to the atropisomer classes typically found in medicinal chemistry development programmes. In contrast to classical means of obtaining enantiopure atropisomers, this proposed biocatalytic method overcomes the yield and waste limitations of classical resolution and is uniquely applicable to the polar, water-soluble drug candidates for which existing asymmetric methods fail. The method stands out as sustainable, versatile and capable of making potential chiral drugs of enormous value and will be transformative for how the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors produce atropisomeric drug molecules. The originality of the project stems directly from a newly discovered chemical process unique to our laboratory. The Research Team is composed of diverse specialists in synthesis, biocatalysis, complex reaction networks and drug development. Development of the method will involve close partnership with industrial partners to identify enzyme classes, methods and target molecules for use as case-studies to quantify the benefits of the technology.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
BS8 1QU BRISTOL
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.