Director of Research

In the Ley Group, we specialise in developing new synthesis methods and applying them to the construction of biologically important molecules. Over the years we have completed the total synthesis of many natural products, including: spongistatin 1 (anti-mitotic agent); rapamycin (immunosuppressant); thapsigargin (SERCA pumps inhibitor); azadirachtin (insect antifeedant); and bengazole A (fungicide). In addition to our research on natural product synthesis, we also pioneered flow chemistry and machine assisted synthesis. 

For more detailed research information and our publication list, please see our legacy group website.

Completed Natural Products

Publications

A New Enabling Technology for Convenient Laboratory Scale Continuous Flow Processing at Low Temperatures
DL Browne, M Baumann, BH Harji, IR Baxendale, SV Ley
Organic Letters
(2011)
13
The clerodane ring system: investigating the viability of a direct Diels-Alder approach.
AT Merritt, RH Pouwer, DJ Williams, CM Williams, SV Ley
Org Biomol Chem
(2011)
9
Synthesis of a drug-like focused library of trisubstituted pyrrolidines using integrated flow chemistry and batch methods.
M Baumann, IR Baxendale, C Kuratli, SV Ley, RE Martin, J Schneider
ACS combinatorial science
(2011)
13
Retinoic acid receptor signaling regulates choroid fissure closure through independent mechanisms in the ventral optic cup and periocular mesenchyme
G Lupo, G Gestri, M O'Brien, RM Denton, RAS Chandraratna, SV Ley, WA Harris, SW Wilson
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
(2011)
108
A breakthrough method for the accurate addition of reagents in multi-step segmented flow processing
H Lange, CF Carter, MD Hopkin, A Burke, JG Goode, IR Baxendale, SV Ley
Chemical Science
(2011)
2
An overview of the key routes to the best selling 5-membered ring heterocyclic pharmaceuticals.
M Baumann, IR Baxendale, SV Ley, N Nikbin
Beilstein J Org Chem
(2011)
7
Behavioural and neurophysiological responses of Spodoptera littoralis to azadirachtin and a range of synthetic analogues
MSJ Simmonds, WM Blaney, SV Ley, JC Anderson, R Banteli, AA Denholm, PCW Green, RB Grossman, C Gutteridge, L Jennens, SC Smith, PL Toogood, A Wood
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
(2011)
77
Insect antifeedants: a behavioural and electrophysiological investigation of natural and synthetically derived clerodane diterpenoids
WM Blaney, MSJ Simmonds, SV Ley, PS Jones
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata
(2011)
46
Lesser-known enabling technologies for organic synthesis
M O'Brien, R Denton, SV Ley
Synthesis
(2011)
In-line monitoring for the accurate control of segmented flow processes
CF Carter, SV Ley
ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2011)
241

Research Group

Telephone number

01223 336398

Email address