# Chemical Synthesis of Complex Natural Products for Translational Science

> **NIH NIH R35** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · 2021 · $713,855

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Chemical Synthesis of Complex Natural Products for Translational Science
The goals of the continuing MIRA (R35GM118173) research program are to continue focus on chemical
syntheses of bioactive molecules for translational studies. The MIRA effort will allow flexibility and stability to
enable new research directions that come up during the course of research. The first four years of the R35
program have been highly productive and have led to 30 publications in high impact journals. This includes 17
collaborative manuscripts with clinical and biological investigators. As part of our studies, we have taken
opportunities to address key questions and contemporary needs in organic chemistry including asymmetric
catalysis of photocycloadditions, biomimetic cascade reactions and cycloadditions, and chemoenzymatic
synthesis. Key accomplishments in the past four years include synthesis of amidino rocaglates (ADRs) as
highly potent translation inhibitors, synthesis of meroterpenoids using reactive enetriones, biomimetic synthesis
of meroterpenoids by dearomatization-driven polycyclization, and computational investigation of chiral ion-pairs
using parallel tempering (PT) computation. As part of the MIRA renewal project, the Principal Investigator
Professor John Porco and colleagues will continue development of novel synthetic methodologies for concise
entry to bioactive classes of natural products including rocaglates, oxaphenalenones, meroterpenoids, spiro-
PPAPs, polycyclic xanthones and tetrahydroxanthones, xanthone dimers, trichothecenes, and
pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloids. The project will continue major emphasis on collaborations to study biological
properties and mode of action (MoA) of target molecules for use as pharmacological therapies for human
cancers as well as viral, fungal, and bacterial illnesses. It is anticipated that the MIRA program will allow us to
continue development of innovative syntheses of complex natural products and derivatives and work to
aggressively interface these studies with applications in clinical and translational research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10168852
- **Project number:** 2R35GM118173-06
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN A. PORCO
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $713,855
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2016-05-01 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10168852

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10168852, Chemical Synthesis of Complex Natural Products for Translational Science (2R35GM118173-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10168852. Licensed CC0.

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