Professor Steve Ley CBE FRS FMedSci

Director of Research

In the Ley Group, we specialise in developing new synthesis methods and applying them to the construction of biologically important molecules. Over the last 10 years we have completed the total synthesis of 28 natural products including spongistatin 1 (anti-mitotic agent), rapamycin (immunosuppressant), thapsigargin (SERCA pumps inhibitor), azadirachtin (insect antifeedant) and bengazole A (fungicide), taking our group total to 150 completed total syntheses. In addition to our research on natural product synthesis, we also have a new state-of-the-art flow chemistry facility.

For more detailed research information, group members and our publication list please see the group website.

Publications

The first Lewis acid-catalyzed allylboronate additions to aldehydes

DEA Brittain, SV Ley

Chemtracts

(2004)

620

Enantioselective organocatalytic cyclopropanation via ammonium ylides.

CD Papageorgiou, MA Cubillo de Dios, SV Ley, MJ Gaunt

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)

(2004)

4641

(doi: 10.1002/anie.200460234)

The preparation and alkylation of a butanedione-derived chiral glycine equivalent and its use for the synthesis of α-amino acids and α,α-disubstituted amino acids

CI Harding, DJ Dixon, SV Ley

Tetrahedron

(2004)

7679

(doi: 10.1016/j.tet.2004.06.063)

Synthesis of the C-1/C-15 spiroketal fragment (AB) of spongistatin 1.

P Orsini, SV Ley, AS Jessiman, MJ Gaunt

ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

(2004)

228

U77

A concise total synthesis of (+)-okaramine C

PR Hewitt, E Cleator, SV Ley

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry

(2004)

2415

(doi: 10.1039/b410180d)

5-Pyrrolidin-2-yltetrazole as an asymmetric organocatalyst for the addition of ketones to nitro-olefins.

AJA Cobb, DA Longbottom, DM Shaw, SV Ley

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)

(2004)

1808

(doi: 10.1039/b409646k)

Synthesis of the thapsigargins.

SV Ley, A Antonello, EP Balskus, DT Booth, SB Christensen, E Cleator, H Gold, K Högenauer, U Hünger, RM Myers, SF Oliver, O Simic, MD Smith, H Søhoel, AJA Woolford

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

(2004)

101

12073

(doi: 10.1073/pnas.0403300101)