Laboratory of Natural Product Chemistry

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NATURAL PRODUCT TOTAL SYNTHESIS

Natural product total synthesis provides a platform to access complex and privileged architectures with unique target-specific activities. Our research allows us to study biosynthetic pathways, modulate biological function, and explore chemical diversity for the purposes of efficient access to complex scaffolds and medicinally relevant analogs. 

BIOMIMETIC 

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​We use biomimetic total synthesis to test biosynthetic hypotheses as well as develop new approaches to accessing biosynthetically intractable functional groups. 

CHEMOENZYMATIC 

Combining total synthesis and enzyme chemistry is a powerful method for efficient synthesis. ​We develop catalysts from polyketide biosynthesis as reagents for chemoenzymatic total syntheses of ​polyketide natural products.

MEDICINAL

​​We use organic synthesis to access complex natural products. Through SAR and rational design we synthesize their analogs for the purpose of evaluating and optimizing their pharmacological potential.

SOLID-PHASE PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS 

​We use solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) to access non ribosomal peptide natural products and their analogs for biological evaluation. We also employ this technology to access key motifs used in bioconjugation chemistry.

NATURAL PRODUCT BIOSYNTHESIS

We address the antibiotic resistance crisis through the study of molecular mechanisms of action and the characterization of biosynthetic pathways. Our research employs chemical and synthetic biology as tools to answer questions of how microorganisms construct complex, biologically active molecules and how these molecules induce antibacterial activity in vivo. ​