Dr. Regina Zibuck of the Department of Chemistry at Syracuse University will be supported by the Synthetic Organic Program as a Presidential Young Investigator. Dr. Zibuck's research will focus on the total synthesis of structurally complex and biologically interesting natural products. Equally important is the development of new methodology to address design and construction of enantiomerically pure starting materials. Target molecules include podolide, the erythrophalamine alkaloids, and rubradirin, a thirteen member macrocycle. Methodology used for the rubradirin synthesis should be applicable to the preparation of many other morpholine-type natural products.
