Browsing by Author "Del Rio, Ricardo"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Nonlocal Coupling Effects on a Network of Neurons(2020-09-29) Del Rio, Ricardo; Deo, ShravaniMany biological systems such as groups of heart cells and neural tissue can exhibit excitatory or oscillatory behavior. In this project, we look at the particular example of neural tissue. We use the Wiener-Rosenblueth (WR) and FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) models to study how nonlocal coupling affects pattern formation in excitatory and oscillatory systems, respectively. We model a network of neurons with a square grid, and apply the WR and FHN equations to it. In excitatory systems, we will explore how nonlocal coupling affects spiral wave formation. In oscillatory systems, we will determine how Levy-type coupling and a network structure formed of two layers affects the formation of chimera patterns.Item Synthesis of (-) - Indolactam V for the Total Synthesis of Cytoblastin(2022-04-14) Del Rio, RicardoCytoblastin is a rare drug used as an effective treatment for Aids-HIV cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, lung cancer, melanoma, testicular cancer, and vulva cancer. Although cytoblastin is a useful drug, current methods of synthesizing cytoblastin are low yielding and not enantioselective. In this research project, (-)-indolactam V, a precursor of cytoblastin, is attempted to be synthesized, so it can be used in subsequent reactions to synthesize cytoblastin. Initially, the first route to synthesize (-)-indolactam V was via a Cu catalyzed arylation of the 4 position in 4-bromoindole, followed by peptide coupling of amino acids, and finally a ring closure. However, due to a failure in the Cu catalyzed arylation reaction and its discovered complications the route was abandoned in favor of a second route. Currently, the second route involving a conjugate addition in the 3 position in 4-bromoindole, followed by peptide coupling of amino acids, and finally a ring closure via Buchwald-Hartwig coupling is found to be more successful. In the second route, 2 molecules in the synthesis have been successfully synthesize. Future work in this project will be to push the synthesis as far as possible and successfully create the xPhos catalyst for the ring closure step.