Keio University Human Biology-Microbiome-Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q) will hold a seminar as follows.
This is an event for faculty, students, and staff of Keio University.

Bioactive small molecules in the ~400–1200 Da range can be elusive structural targets. In solution they often sample rapidly interconverting conformers, obscuring a single bio-relevant 3D structure and stereochemistry. This talk presents conformational control in confined cavities, where analyte molecules are captured inside pre-formed crystalline cages and the cavity microenvironment is tuned to bias and select specific conformations, effectively acting as an adjustable molecular clamp for flexible analytes. Confinement converts a fluctuating ensemble into a structurally readable state, enabling X-ray structural elucidation without requiring the analyte to crystallize on its own. Selected case studies highlight how cavity-guided conformational selection clarifies stereochemistry and key conformational features across diverse bioactive scaffolds, including macrocyclic and polyether-like frameworks.