PhD Project 11
Synthesis and Functional Optimization of Natural Products
Florian Zielke
I am currently a PhD student at the University of Zurich. My project mainly focusses on the design and development of a novel, scalable and ideally modular chemical route towards the securamine natural products. Once this is established, I will focus on the synthesis of analogs trying to improve medicinal chemistry relevant properties and facilitating the hit – to – lead transition.
I completed my Bachelor and Master studies in Chemistry at Radboud University, The Netherlands, where I have worked on small molecule drug discovery projects. Additionally, during my Master’s education I had the opportunity to perform an extended internship in the Shenvi-lab at Scripps Research working on natural product analogs. I am delighted and thrilled to have found and be accepted in this doctoral network that perfectly matches my interests.
Synthesis and Functional Optimization of Natural Products
The main objective of this project is the design and development of a scalable route towards securamine derivatives and the functional optimization of natural products by chemical synthesis.
Approach:
1) The PhD student will design and develop a chemical route towards securamine by using state-of-the art databases, machine learning using both commercial and open access tools, and swarm intelligence methods.
2) The PhD student will establish structure activity relationship studies on the securamine class of natural products, which will be aided by computational design if possible and evaluated by biological assays. Feedback from these partners will enhance the design and the performance of the newly synthesized compounds in the hit to lead transition.
3) The PhD student will prepare a larger amount of the lead compound for downstream ADMET/Tox studies.
4) After new hits have been identified, the PhD student will perform SAR studies.
