Mentor Areas
Research in the Smith laboratory encompasses three main areas: (A) complex molecule synthesis; (B) the development of new synthetic methods; and (C) bioorganic/medicinal chemistry, with collaborative programs in anti-viral, neurodegenerative disease research, and biophysics, specifically ultrafast photochemical triggers for peptide/protein stapling/unstapling to probe peptide/protein folding.
Description:
In the area of total synthesis, the construction of over 90 architecturally complex natural products have been achieved. Examples include: milbemycin beta3, (-)-bertyadionol, (-)-FK506 (formal synthesis), (-)-rapamycin, the (-)-furaquinocins (eight family members), alkaloid (-)-205B, (-)-penitrem D, (+)-13-deoxytedanolide, (+)-emindole SA, (-)-kendomycin, (-)-clavosolide, (-)-enigmazole A and (-)-nodulisporic acids D, C and B. A hallmark of Smith’s natural product synthetic program has been the development of preparative scale syntheses. More than 1-gram of both (+)-discodermolide and (+)-spirostrellolide A have been prepared in his laboratory. A second related area of research comprises the development of new synthetic methods for use in the preparation of complex molecules. Three recent examples involve: (i) Anion Relay Chemistry (ARC); (ii) Petasis-Ferrier Union/Rearrangement; and (iii) a non-aldol/polyene synthetic protocol. In the third area, bioorganic-medicinal chemistry, Professor Smith has had a long history of NIH funded interdisciplinary collaborations (e.g., PO-1 and UO-1 grants) based on expertise in organic synthesis.
Current programs include: (A) the design, synthesis and biological evalulation of analogs of microtubule stabilizing agents such as discodermolide, epotholine, and taxol as potential novel antitumor agents; (B) the development of small molecule antagonists of HIV-1 envelope function in cell entry; (C) modulation of HIV-1 capsid stability with small molecules; (D) identification of small molecule CD4 mimic compounds that sensitize HIV-1 infected cells to ADCC.
Preferred Qualifications
Completion of the Department's Organic Laboratory Course (Chem 245).
Details:
Preferred Student Year
Second-Year, Junior, Senior
Academic Term
Fall, Spring, Summer
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.