This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Our lab is interested in the development of chemical tools to study processes related to: 1. chromatin modifications and 2. the role of carbohydrates in the endoplasmic reticulum. For this purpose, we need to carry out the following syntheses: 1. unnatural amino acids and short peptides incorporating them - for mechanism-based inactivation of histone demethylases;2. carbohydrates, from monosaccharides to oligosaccharides - for studies on the role of carbohydrates in biosynthesis and degradation of glycoproteins. Data on the molecular weight of synthetic intermediates is necessary for the characterization of synthetic intermediates. Furthermore, site of modification of the demethylase by candidate mechanism-based inactivators is evaluated by mass spectrometry.