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

Preparation of β-ketomacrolactones and β-ketodiolides using S-t-butyl 3-oxobutanethioate and S-t-butyl 4-diethylphosphono-3-oxobutanethioate

PM BOOTH, HB BROUGHTON, MJ FORD, CMJ FOX, SV LEY, AMZ SLAWIN, DJ WILLIAMS, PR WOODWARD

Tetrahedron

(1989)

7565

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)89218-8)

Microbial Oxidation in Synthesis: Preparation of (+)- and (-)-Pinitol from Benzene

SV LEY, F STERNFELD

Tetrahedron

(1989)

3463

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4020(01)81025-5)

SUBSTITUTION-REACTIONS OF 2-BENZENESULFONYL CYCLIC ETHERS WITH CARBON NUCLEOPHILES

DS BROWN, M BRUNO, RJ DAVENPORT, SV LEY

Tetrahedron

(1989)

4293

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)81323-5)

Microbial oxidation in synthesis: Preparation of 6-deoxy cyclitol analogues of myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate from benzene

SV LEY, M PARRA, AJ REDGRAVE, F STERNFELD, A VIDAL

Tetrahedron Letters

(1989)

3557

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)99439-5)

TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF (+) - MILBEMYCIN BETA-1

NJ ANTHONY, A ARMSTRONG, SV LEY, A MADIN

Tetrahedron Letters

(1989)

3209

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)99203-7)

PREPARATION OF TERT-BUTYL ACETOTHIOACETATE AND USE IN THE SYNTHESIS OF 3-ACETYL-4-HYDROXY-5,5-DIMETHYLFURAN-2(5H)-ONE

CMJ FOX, SV LEY

ORGANIC SYNTHESES

(1988)

108

Use of t-butyl 4-diethylphosphono-3-oxobutanethioate for tetramic acid synthesis: Total synthesis of the plasmodial pigment fuligorubin A

SV LEY, SC SMITH, PR WOODWARD

Tetrahedron Letters

(1988)

5829

(doi: 10.1016/S0040-4039(00)82204-2)

Activity of drimane antifeedants and related compounds against aphids, and comparative biological effects and chemical reactivity of (?)- and (+)-polygodial

Y Asakawa, GW Dawson, DC Griffiths, JY Lallemand, SV Ley, K Mori, A Mudd, M Pezechk-Leclaire, JA Pickett, H Watanabe, CM Woodcock, Z Zhong-Ning

Journal of chemical ecology

(1988)

1845

(doi: 10.1007/BF01013481)

Chemistry of insect antifeedants from (part 1): Conversion from the azadirachtin to the azadirachtinin skeletons

JN BILTON, PS JONES, SV LEY, NG ROBINSON, RN SHEPPARD

Tetrahedron Letters

(1988)

1849

(doi: 10.1016/s0040-4039(00)82061-4)