Our research interests originate from a desire to understand and exploit biological systems using organic synthesis primarily. Listed below are areas of research that we are exploring; for more detailed information visit http://www-spring.ch.cam.ac.uk/.
Diversity-Oriented Synthesis.
Synthetic Methodology: Medium Ring Synthesis and Natural Product Synthesis
Molecular Therapeutics
New Antibiotic Discovery
Quorum Sensing
We collaborate with several companies (AZ, GSK, Lilly, UCB) and academic groups in other Cambridge Departments. The scientific education of group members in organic synthesis is given a high priority; however, they are encouraged also to learn and perform new techniques relating to their projects with our industrial and academic collaborators. Every effort is made so that group members achieve their career ambitions, usually jobs in academia or the chemical industries.
Selected Publications
The discovery of antibacterial agents using diversity oriented synthesis. Chem. Commun. 2009, 2446-2462.
Fluoride-free cross coupling using vinyldisiloxanes. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2009, 7, 1068-1071.
Synthesis of Unprecedented Scaffold Diversity. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 1194-1196.
Towards quorum-quenching catalytic antibodies. Chem. Commun. 2009, 538-540.
Using Chemical Probes to Investigate the Sub-Inhibitory Effects of Azithromycin. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2008,6, 4120-4124.
Identification of an anti-MRSA dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor from a diversity-oriented synthesis. Chem.Commun. 2008, 4962-4964.
Exploiting Domino Enyne Metathesis Mechanisms For Skeletal Diversity Generation. Chem. Commun. 2008, 3001-3003
Total Synthesis of Sanguiin H-5. Org. Lett. 2008, 10, 2593-2596
Anti-MRSA Agent Discovery Using Diversity-Oriented Synthesis. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 2808-2812
Synthesis of Medium-Ring and Iodinated Biaryl Compounds by Organocuprate Oxidation. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2005, 44, 1870-1873 & 2471