Next-Gen Synthesis for Drug Discovery
Research
We aim to develop technologies that accelerate access to valuable complex molecules that can solve important societal challenges. To this end, our work combines synthetic organic chemistry with lab automation, artificial intelligence and chemical biology. Current research directions in the group are outlined below:
Automated Synthesis for
Autonomous Drug Discovery Platforms
Synthesis remains a major bottleneck in the drug discovery process, resulting in inefficient exploration of chemical space and hindering access to potential new life-saving medicines. We develop synthetic chemistry methods to enable automated synthesis of complex organic molecules. Our aim is to employ these methods to realize autonomous platforms for the discovery of new molecules with desired biological properties, thus helping accelerate the drug discovery process.
Supramolecular Catalysis
By combining molecular confinement with tunable host-guest interactions, we design and construct catalysts with enzyme-like environments that can exercise precise control over chemical reactivity. We employ these catalysts to enable previously inaccessible modes of chemical reactivity and to achieve faster access to valuable molecules.
Synthesis and Chemical Biology of Natural Products
Many complex natural products possess valuable biological properties, but the exact mechanism through which they elicit their biological action is unknown. Through modular synthesis and precise structural editing, we aim to shed light on the biomolecular mechanism of action of biologically active natural products and to generate new derivatives with improved properties.