The Chemistry/Biology Interface

It is an exciting time to be working at the interface between chemistry and biology.¹ We approach this predominantly from a chemistry perspective.

We believe that recent technological developments provide the synthetic chemist with an opportunity to impact dramatically on biomedical research. These advances (in high-throughput synthesis) enable us to take full advantage of our fundamental understanding of organic chemistry, applying it in new directions. For example we are interested in the synthesis of small molecule tools to help study key biological processes.^2,3

Projects require and establish many of the basic skills in organic chemistry (reaction design, material management, analytical skills etc.). We also use techniques such as parallel automated synthesis and purification, solid phase synthesis and applications of microwave chemistry where required. Our main focus is on developing "synthetic blueprints" that encode for large collections of novel chemical entities.

The inspiration for these synthetic blueprints frequently comes from known biologically active molecules such as Xenovulene A. Our laboratory therefore maintains a key interest in synthetic approaches inspired by natural products.^4,5 In addition, we are interested in ring fragmentation reactions as a means of efficiently extending structural diversity.

Due to the multidisciplinary environment at St Andrews it is relatively easy for students within the group to become "biologically-aware". For example, through a series of excellent collaborations and increasingly within our own laboratory, we mine the compound collections we create, selecting for compounds that help to raise the current level of understanding of challenging biological systems. Inherent in this goal is the requirement for further chemical innovation. It is this interplay between chemistry and biology that drives us to improve our skills in both arenas.

We are supported by The Royal Society (NJW fellowship), BBSRC, EPSRC and the MRC as well as the DAAD in Germany and the NIH in the US. We also have financial support from Industry.

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS

1. Chemical Genetics, S.L. Schreiber, T.J. Mitchison et al, Science, 1999, 286(5441), 971-974.
2. Communication between microtubules and the cytokinetic ring dissected with a novel myosin II inhibitor, A.F. Straight, A. Cheung, J. Limouze, I. Chen, N.J. Westwood, J.R. Sellers, T.J. Mitchison, Science, 2003, 299, 1743-1747.
3. Using small molecules to ask big questions in cellular microbiology, G.E. Ward, K.L. Carey, N.J. Westwood, Cellular Microbiology, 2002, 4(8), 471-482.
4. Use of Biomimietic Diversity-Oreinted Synthesis to Discover Galanthamine-Like Molecules with Biological Properties beyond those of Natural product, H.E. Pelish, N.J. Westwood, Y. Feng, T. Kirchhausen, M.D. Shair, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2001, 123, 6740-6741