a Efficient polymer-protein conjugation is a crucial step in the design of many therapeutic protein formulations including nanoscopic vaccine formulations, antibody-drug conjugates and to enhance the in vivo behaviour of proteins. Here we aimed at preparing well-defined polymers for conjugation to proteins by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of both acrylates and methacrylamides with protein-reactive chain transfer agents (CTAs). These RAFT agents contain either a N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) or pentafluorophenyl (PFP) ester moiety that can be conjugated to lysine residues, and alternatively a maleimide (MAL) or pyridyl disulfide (PDS) moiety that can be conjugated to cysteine residues. Efficiency of the bioconjugation of these polymers to bovine and avian serum albumin was investigated as a function of stoichiometry, polymer molecular weight and the presence of reducing agents. A large molar excess of polymer was required to obtain an acceptable degree of protein conjugation.However, protein modification with N-succinimidyl-S-acetylthiopropionate (SATP) to introduce sulfhydryl groups onto primary amines, significantly increased conjugation efficiency with MAL-and PDS-containing polymers.

A recently developed (4+3) cycloaddition between dienes and furfuryl alcohols, as precursors of oxyallyl-type cations, has been used as a key step in the racemic syntheses of two natural products: frondosin B and liphagal. This work demonstrates the synthetic potential of this cycloaddition reaction, and offers a short synthetic route to an interesting family of natural products. A full account of these synthetic studies is presented, further illustrating the mechanism, scope, and limitations of this straightforward synthetic method for seven-membered rings.

We report on transiently responsive protein-polymer conjugates that temporarily change their protein conformation from the soluble to the particle-like state. 'Grafting-from' RAFT polymerization of a dioxolane-containing acrylamide with a protein macroCTA is used to design polymer-protein conjugates that self-assemble into nanoparticles at physiological temperature and pH. Acid triggered hydrolysis of the dioxolane units into diol moeities rendered the conjugates fully water soluble irrespective of temperature.

By using a gallium(III) triflate catalyzed intramolecular (4+3) cycloaddition, a few functionalized furan‐derived tricycles that share the common guaianolide sesquiterpene ring system were prepared in a stereoselective manner in only three steps from commercially available starting materials. A discussion of the formation of alternative products is included, with possible substrate requirements to achieve the key cycloaddition step in an efficient way.