Speakers Bios for the October 15, 2024
Process Chemistry Symposium

Stacks Image 231
Jeff Bode
ETH Zurich

The goal of our research group is the synthesis of molecules and conjugates that are currently outside the reach of conventional synthetic methods. Preparing molecules such as proteins, glycopeptides, sequence and length-controlled polymers, and covalent conjugates of these large structures (mw >5,000) requires a new generation of chemical reactions. Most importantly, bond forming reactions that operate under aqueous conditions in the presence of unprotected functional groups with fast reaction rates are needed if chemists will ever be able to synthesize structures with the complexity and functional properties commonly found in biological systems.

The Bode Group also seeks new methods to generate structural and functional complexity in small organic molecules. For example, we have pioneered facile approaches to chiral saturated N-heterocycles, as exemplified by our SnAP Reagents.  All of our efforts are supported by the development of fundamentally new organic reactions including catalytic processes, new cross-coupling methodologies, and chemical ligation reactions.

These ambitions are currently manifested in multiple projects across many scientific disciplines. While all members practice synthetic organic chemistry, our labs also include molecular and cellular biology, peptide synthesis, materials science, physical organic chemistry, hardware and software development, and extensive analytical and chromatographic facilities.

Learn more here:
https://bode.ethz.ch/people/the-boss.html
Stacks Image 253
Hans Renata
Rice University

Despite rapid advances in synthetic organic chemistry, many classes of small molecules remain inefficient to access using conventional methods. Enzymatic reactions, on the other hand, offer unparalleled potential for highly selective chemical transformations. By combining the power of modern enzyme engineering tools and advances in genome mining, The Renata laboratory aims to develop practical enzymatic solutions for traditionally challenging organic reactions, especially in the realm of C–H functionalization chemistry. The utility of these transformations will be showcased in the concise, scalable synthesis of bioactive natural products and their analogues, which in turn will serve as potential leads in drug discovery efforts or novel chemical probes to interrogate various cellular processes. These goals are pursued through collaborative efforts that take advantage of the uniquely interdisciplinary ecosystem at Scripps Research. Research projects are designed to be multi-faceted, providing students with broad exposure to synthetic organic chemistry, molecular biology, enzyme engineering and medicinal chemistry to ensure that they are well-equipped for future careers in both academia and industry.

Learn more here:
https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/hans-renata
Stacks Image 250
Connor Coley
MIT

We work at the interface of chemistry and machine learning to develop models that understand how molecules behave, interact, and react and use that knowledge to engineer new ones. Much of our work focuses on improving computational strategies for small molecule drug discovery, molecular optimization, and synthesis planning. A long-term goal of our work is to enable autonomous molecular discovery, where hypotheses are proposed algorithmically and tested via experiments with minimal human intervention.

Learn more here
https://coley.mit.edu/

Stacks Image 256
Patricia Musacchio
University of Buffalo

The Musacchio group works on reaction development within the field of organic chemistry. We believe in the power of chemical transformations to solve complex societal issues, and thus, see to develop reactions that can: 1) accelerate drug discovery efforts, 2) allow chemists to study and manipulate biological systems, and 3) modify polymers for their synthesis and degradation. We aim for our reaction methods to not only achieve valuable bond formations, but also to be: 1) mild in energy format (visible light, ambient temperature, electrochemistry), 2) use abundant reagent classes, thereby making them 3) amenable to library synthesis efforts. Specifically, we are interested in reactions that utilize radical intermediates and expanding their use in synthesis.

Learn more here
https://www.zhang-musacchioresearchgroup.com/

Stacks Image 259
Industrial speakers from Takeda, Vertex, Sanofi, and Amgen Will also present
To see past speakers, click here.