Marine natural products often have complex structures and potent biological activities; however, little is understood regarding how their molecular structure correlates with function or what biological targets or pathways are involved. Through rapid and efficient chemical syntheses of bioactive marine natural products we are able prepare ample quantities of material to explore both structure-activity relationships as well as target identification studies. Specifically, the monanchocidin, synoxazolidinone and lipoxazolidinone families of natural products will be discussed leading to novel synthetic derivatives that serve as lead structures for infectious disease and cancer chemical probe and therapeutic development.

Joshua Pierce (North Carolina State University)