Kevin J Schwarz

RNA-based macromolecular machines, such as the ribosome, have functional parts reliant on structural interactions spanning sequence-distant regions. These features limit evolutionary exploration of mutant libraries and confound three-dimensional structure-guided design....

In this work, a simple method is reported for control over initiation in frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP). This noncontact approach uses 375 nm light to excite Grubbs' second-generation catalyst...

We report the design, chemical synthesis, and flexizyme-catalyzed transfer RNA (tRNA) acylation of a variety of fluorescent amino acids (FAAs). The fluorescent groups include pyrene, coumarin, nitrobenzoxadiazole, and fluorescein variants....

Ribosome-mediated polymerization of backbone-extended monomers into polypeptides is challenging due to their poor compatibility with the translation apparatus, which evolved to use α-L-amino acids. Moreover, mechanisms to acylate (or charge)...

The site-specific incorporation of noncanonical monomers into polypeptides through genetic code reprogramming permits synthesis of bio-based products that extend beyond natural limits. To better enable such efforts, flexizymes (transfer RNA...

The first asymmetric cooperative Lewis base/palladium catalyzed benzylic alkylation of acyclic esters is reported. This reaction proceeds via stereodefined C1-ammonium enolate nucleophiles. Critical to its success was the identification of...

Cooperative catalysis enables the direct enantioselective α-allylation of linear prochiral esters with 2-substituted allyl electrophiles. Critical to the successful development of the method was the recognition that metal-centered reactivity and...

The direct, catalytic, asymmetric α-functionalization of acyclic esters constitutes a significant challenge in the area of asymmetric catalysis, particularly where the configurational integrity of the products is problematic. Through the...