Dr Laurent Trembleau

Dr Laurent Trembleau The University of Aberdeen School of Natural & Computing Sciences Lecturer work +44 (0)1224 272922 pref l.trembleau@abdn.ac.uk pref Telephone: +44 (0)1224 272922 E-mail: l.trembleau@abdn.ac.uk Address: School of Natural and Computing Sciences University of Aberdeen Meston Building, Room G95 Aberdeen AB24 3UE

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Biography

Laurent Trembleau received his undergraduate education at the "Institut Universitaire de Technologie" of Orléans (France) and obtained a "Diplôme d'Ingénieur" in Fine Chemistry and Engineering, and a "Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies" (DEA) in Chemistry at the "Institut National des Sciences Appliquées" of Rouen, France (1993). In 1994, he completed a 10-month compulsory military service and moved to Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) to undertake a PhD in the group of Professor Léon Ghosez. His work, financed by Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, involved the development of new Diels-Alder reactions and methods towards the synthesis of ottelione A, a natural product inhibitor of tubulin polymerisation. In 2001, he moved to the Scripps Research Institute (USA) for a 2-year post-doctoral position in the group of Professor Julius Rebek where he designed a water-soluble receptor of acetylcholine, described the helical conformation of alkanes in synthetic receptors, and was involved in the synthesis of oxazole-based macrocycles. In 2004, he did a short post-doctoral position in the group of Dr Simon Webb, where he worked on the synthesis of novel lipids designed to mimic cell adhesion molecules. At the end of 2004, he accepted a Lectureship in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen, where he is currently studying the total synthesis and SAR of bioactive molecules, the development of organic catalysts and novel methods for application in Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry.

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Current Research

1) Methodology

Peptide Synthesis – With Célia Meneses

We are interested in the development of efficient solution-phase syntheses of peptides. We have recently optimized a new repetitive procedure that contains features from both solid-phase and solution-phase methods, making it an effective method for the synthesis of short peptides. We are also investigating new ligation methodologies to facilitate the synthesis of glycopeptides.

Supramolecular Chemistry

We are studying new strategies that aim to predict the structure of peptide foldamers for application in molecular recognition, catalysis and medicinal chemistry.

2) Medicinal Chemistry

Inhibitors of Protein-Protein Interactions (PPI) – With Mostafa Hamed

This project involves the design and synthesis of inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. We are developing macrocyclic molecules possessing large surface areas in the aim to inhibit specific protein-protein interactions (in collaboration with Prof M. Jaspars, Dr D. Ritchie and Prof J. Liversidge).

Synthesis of CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists –With Mostafa Hamed

CB₁ receptor pharmacology is the subject of intense research effort aimed at the treatment of obesity, pain, inflammation, osteoporosis, cancer, multiple sclerosis or cardiovascular disorders. Pertwee and Ross have recently identified small molecules that are allosteric modulators of the CB₁ receptor [Price, M. R. et al Mol. Pharm. 2005, 68, 1484]. We are currently investigating the structure-activity relationships of several ligands of the CB1 receptor, and performing docking experiments which aim at locating a CB1 allosteric binding site (in collaboration with Professor R. Pertwee and Dr R. A. Ross, Institute of Medical Science, Aberdeen and Prof P. Reggio, USA).

Protein-labeling for Applications in Medical Imaging Techniques – With Dr Michael Simpson and Richard Cheyne

We are investigating the synthesis of new radiolabeled conjugates for application in early detection of cancer by positron emission tomography (in collaboration with Dr T. Smith, Aberdeen, Professor A. Thompson, and Dr V. Appleyard, Dundee).

Tissue regeneration– With Sarah Nicoll

This project aims to synthesise peptide-based biomaterials for applications in tissue regeneration (In collaboration with Dr J. Storey and Dr I. Gibson)

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Research Grants

• School of Natural and Computing Sciences (University of Aberdeen) – PhD Studentship (2005-2008) – Célia Meneses
• Egyptian Government – PhD Studentship (2006-2009) - Mostafa Hamed (with Prof Marcel Jaspars)
• Breast Cancer Campaign (with Dr Tim Smith, Professor A. Thompson and Dr V. Appleyard) – PhD Studentship (2007-2010) - Richard Cheyne
• BBSRC (with Dr Tim Smith, Professor A. Thompson and Dr V. Appleyard) – PDRA (2008-2010) – Dr Michael Simpson
• School of Natural and Computing Sciences (University of Aberdeen) – PhD Studentship (2008-2011) – Sarah Nicoll (with Dr John Storey and Dr Iain Gibson)
• School of Natural and Computing Sciences (University of Aberdeen) – PhD Studentship (2008-2011) – Jamie Kerr (with Dr John Storey)

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Teaching Responsibilities

Dr Trembleau teaches in the following courses

• CM2512 Organic and Biological Chemistry
• CM3521 Organic and Biological Chemistry
• CM4516 Honours/Advanced Chemistry

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Publications

Contributions to Journals

Articles

• Cheyne, RW., Trembleau, LAC., McLaughlin, A. & Smith, TAD. (2011). 'Changes in 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose incorporation, hexokinase activity and lactate production by breast cancer cells responding to treatment with the anti-HER-2 antibody trastuzumab'. Nuclear Medicine and Biology, vol 38, no. 3, pp. 339-346.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.09.005
  [Online] AURA: acm_paper.pdf
• Simpson, M., Trembleau, LAC., Cheyne, RW. & Smith, TAD. (2011). 'One-pot production of 18F-biotin by conjugation with 18F-FDG for pre-targeted imaging: Synthesis and radio-labelling of a PEGylated precursor'. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, vol 69, no. 2, pp. 418-422.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.10.012
  [Online] AURA: Paper1.docx
• Cheyne, RW., Smith, TAD., Trembleau, LAC. & McLaughlin, A. (2011). 'Synthesis and characterisation of ultrasmall biologically compatible TiO2 nanoparticles'. Nanoscale Research Letters, vol 6, pp. 423.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-6-423
  [Online] AURA: ACM_paper.pdf
• Trembleau, LAC., Simpson, M., Cheyne, RW., escofet, I., appleyard, V., sharp, S., murray, K., Thompson, A. & Smith, TAD. (2011). 'Development of 18F-fluorinatable dendrons and their application to cancer cell targeting'. New Journal of Chemistry, vol 35, no. 11, pp. 2496-2502.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20417C
• Meneses, C., Nicoll, SL. & Trembleau, LAC. (2010). 'Multigram-Scale Synthesis of Short Peptides via a Simplified Repetitive Solution-Phase Procedure'. Journal of Organic Chemistry, vol 75, no. 3, pp. 564-569.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1021/jo902116p
• Webb, SJ., Greenway, K., Bayati, M. & Trembleau, LAC. (2006). 'Lipid fluorination enables phase separation from fluid phospholipid bilayers'. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, vol 4, pp. 2399-2407.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b603373n
• Webb, SJ., Wang, X., Mart, RJ. & Trembleau, LAC. (2005). 'Membrane Composition Determines the Fate of Aggregated Vesicles'. Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, vol 3, pp. 3615-3617.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b510647h
• Scarso, A., Trembleau, LAC. & Rebek Jnr, J. (2004). 'Helical Folding of Alkanes in a Self-Assembled, Cylindrical Capsule'. Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol 126, pp. 13512-13518.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1021/ja047952f
• Biros, SM., Ullrich, EC., Hof, F., Trembleau, LAC. & Rebek Jnr, J. (2004). 'Kinetically Stable Complexes in Water: The Role of Hydration and Hydrophobicity'. Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol 126, pp. 2870-2876.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1021/ja038823m
• Trembleau, LAC. & Rebek Jnr, J. (2004). 'Interactions Between a Surfactant and Cavitand: Blur Distinctions Between Host and Guest'. Chemical Communications, vol 1, pp. 58-59.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1039/b311424d
• Barfai, T., lu, X., Badie-Mahdavi, H., Barr, AM., Mazarati, A., Hua, XY., Yaksh, T., Haberhauser, G., Ceide, SC., Trembleau, LAC., Somogyi, L., Krock, L. & Rebek Jnr, J. (2004). 'Galmic, a nonpeptide galanin receptor agonist, affects behaviours in seizure, pain, and forced-swim tests'. PNAS, vol 101, pp. 10470-10475.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0403802101
• Ceide, SC., Trembleau, LAC., Haberhauer, G., Somogyi, L., Bartfai, T. & Rebek Jnr, J. (2004). 'Synthesis of galmic: A nonpeptide galanin receptor agonist'. PNAS, vol 101, no. 48, pp. 16727-16732.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0407543101
• Trembleau, LAC. & Rebek Jnr, J. (2003). 'Helical Conformation of Alkanes in a Hydrophobic Cavitand'. Science, vol 301, pp. 1219-1220.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1126/science.1086644
• Scarso, A., Trembleau, LAC. & Rebek Jnr, J. (2003). 'Encapsulation Induces Helical Folding of Alkanes'. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, vol 42, pp. 5499-5502.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1002/anie.200352235
• Hof, F., Trembleau, LAC., Ulrich, E. & Rebek Jnr, J. (2003). 'Acetylcholine Recognition by a Deep, Biomimetic Pocket'. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, vol 42, pp. 3150-3153.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1002/anie.200351174
• Trembleau, LAC., Patiny, L. & Ghosez, L. (2000). 'Diels-Alder reactions of activated furans to cyclopentenone derivatives: A regiodivergent Diels-Alder approach towards polyfunctionalised cis-hydrindanones'. Tetrahedron Letters, vol 41, no. 33, pp. 6377-6381.
• Tinant, B., Trembleau, LAC. & Ghosez, L. (2000). 'Crystal structure of (3R*,3aR*,4S*,7S*,7aR*)-4-(tert-butyldimethyl silyloxy)-4,7-epoxy-3-methoxy-7-methyloctahydro-1H-inden-1-one, C17H30O4Si'. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, vol 215, no. 2, pp. 261-262.

Patents

• Greig, IR., Ross, RA., Trembleau, LAC., Pertwee, RG. & Abdelrahman, MH. (2011). 'Allosteric Modulators of the Cannabinoid Receptor'.
• Smith, TAD., Trembleau, LAC., McLaughlin, A. & Simpson, M. (2010). 'Materials and methods for medical imaging'. GB2467494 (A).
• Bartfai, T., Conde Ceide, S., Haberhauer, G., Laszlo, S., Rebek, JJ. & Trembleau, LAC. (2006). 'Galanin Agonists'.

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