CMM 8: Fundamentals of Chemical Probe Technologies

The lecture is intended to provide an overview of modern chemical probes as tools in chemical biology. It will cover the basic principles of probe design, quality criteria for chemical probes, and key experimental approaches for studying protein function and target engagement in complex biological systems. A particular emphasis will be placed on activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) as an important example of functional chemoproteomics. In addition, related methods such as affinity- and photoaffinity-based profiling, bioorthogonal click chemistry, broader chemoproteomic approaches, and cellular target-engagement methods such as CETSA will be briefly introduced and placed in context. The main learning goals are for students to understand what defines a high-quality chemical probe, how such probes can be used to interrogate protein function, what the strengths and limitations of ABPP and related chemoproteomic methods are, and which common pitfalls should be considered when selecting and interpreting these tools. The lecture is designed as an introductory but conceptually rigorous overview for PhD students with interests in chemical biology, chemoproteomics, drug discovery, and analytical methods at the interface of chemistry and the life sciences. 

You are interested in the CMM, please send an email to imme.sakwa-waltz@chemie.uni-halle.de