With this award the Synthetic Organic Program will support the research of Dr. James D. White of the Department of Chemistry at the Oregon State University. Dr. White will focus his efforts on six areas of synthesis of heterocyclic natural products. The proposed research is directed towards the chemical synthesis of certain, specified target structures with the objective of advancing the present state of knowledge of the principles of organic synthesis and their application in the design of routes to complex molecules. The research is focused on the synthesis of heterocyclic systems that present a significant challenge to contemporary methodology. The specific areas towards which the synthetic effort will be directed include -lactams (especially antibiotics of the carbapenem group), alkaloids of the prianosin family which possess significant cytotoxic activity, a structurally unique set of arachidonic acid metabolites related to leukotriene, and a member of the nonadride group that exhibits hepatotoxic activity.
