CAREER: New Strategies and Methods for the Total Synthesis of Propellane Natural Products

有了这个职业奖，化学合成项目将支持加州理工学院萨拉·E·赖斯曼教授的研究。Reisman教授提出的研究的目标是开发新的方法和战略，用于螺旋桨天然产物的全合成。本研究的第一个目标是开发新的合成方法来制备手性胺，如4-氨基环己二酮。第二个目标是利用这一方法通过化学合成制备螺母类天然产物Periglaucine A、Periglaucine B、Duaricumine和Acutumine。这些分子之所以成为靶点，是因为它们具有良好的生物学特性，包括抗病毒和抗健忘活性，但其生物学作用机制尚不清楚。这项研究有望加深我们对氮杂螺烷天然产物的化学和生物学的理解，并为开发新的化学反应提供新的基础研究机会。赖斯曼教授还将启动一个新项目，旨在为帕萨迪纳联合学区(PU.S.)有兴趣从事科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域职业的年轻女性提供导师。研究表明，良好的指导对妇女在STEM领域的坚持不懈和成功至关重要。加州理工学院课堂联系项目的教师将向该项目推荐该项目的女高中生。每名学生都将与加州理工学院的一名女研究生导师“配对”。由于圣彼得堡州立大学84%的学生是西班牙裔、非裔美国人和其他少数群体，该项目还为这些代表性不足的群体的学生提供导师。通过让女高中生直接接触加州理工学院的导师，这一外展计划通过为下一代女性和少数族裔科学家和工程师提供导师和榜样，努力增加STEM学科的多样性。

With this CAREER Award, the Chemical Synthesis program is supporting the research of Professor Sarah E. Reisman of the California Institute of Technology. The goal of Professor Reisman's proposed research is to develop new methods and strategies for the total synthesis of propellane natural products. The first objective of this research is to develop new synthetic methods to prepare chiral amines, such as 4-aminocyclohexadienones. The second objective is to utilize this methodology to prepare by chemical synthesis the propellane natural products periglaucine A, periglaucine B, duaricumine, and acutumine. These molecules have been targeted because they exhibit promising biological properties, including antiviral and anti-amnesic activity, and yet their biological mechanisms of action is not well understood. This research is expected to deepen our understanding of the chemistry and biology of aza-propellane natural products, and to provide new opportunities for fundamental research toward the development of new chemical reactions. Professor Reisman will also initiate a new program that seeks to provide mentors to young women in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Studies have shown that good mentoring is critical to the persistence and success of women in STEM fields. Female high school students in the PUSD will be recommended to the program by teachers involved in the Caltech Classroom Connections program. Each student will be "matched" with a female graduate student mentor from Caltech. Because 84% of students in the PUSD are of Hispanic, African American and other minority populations, this program also provides mentors to students in these underrepresented groups. By engaging female high school students directly with mentors from Caltech, this outreach program strives to increase diversity in STEM disciplines by providing mentors and role models for a future generation of women and minority scientists and engineers.