This June, Emma Wadforth had the exciting opportunity to present her PhD research at the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Chemical Biology and Bioorganic Group (CBBG) Postgraduate Symposium in Aberdeen, UK.
As she nears the completion of her PhD journey—funded by the European Research Council (ERC)—Emma’s oral presentation marked a proud moment of sharing her work with the wider scientific community. The CBBG symposium provided a great opportunity for connecting with fellow researchers in chemical biology, exchanging ideas, and celebrating the progress of early-career scientists.
Emma’s PhD project synthesised and characterised a selection of novel cyclic peptides from mRNA display against NEU2. This work led to the discovery of some of the most potent inhibitors and stabilisers to date. Peptide-dye conjugate variants were also synthesised to allow for cellular imaging studies and target engagement. In addition, a co-crystal structure of one of the lead cyclic peptides bound to NEU2 allowed for further chemistry design and optimisation.