Molecular Recognition Molecular Recognition Chemistry is a branch of science dedicated to understanding transformations at the molecular level. Undoubtedly the most pervasive phenomenon controlling these transformations is molecular recognition. Studies of molecular recognition in the Chemistry Department at UNL address many important questions in the field. Among them are stereospecific chemical synthesis, design of medicinally important enzyme inhibitors, design of catalysts ranging from metallo porphyrins to highly active metals and the molecular properties of thin films. In addition, studies of molecular recognition are dedicated toward the discovery of medically important diagnostic procedures or unique anti-viral agents.
Studies are also in progress to find new ways to study the structure of peptide hormones.
The research efforts at UNL in molecular recognition draw upon a wide variety of physico-chemical techniques. In numerous cases, graduate students involved in these studies have the opportunity to participate in unusually broad interdisciplinary research projects within the department, at the interdepartmental level at UNL and beyond. Techniques range from computational chemistry, solution and solid state NMR, chromatography, mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray crystallography, atomic force microscopy, molecular biology and organic synthesis.