Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Synthesis of new bioactive compounds of pharmaceutical interest represents a continuing challenge for curing cancer, cardiovascular diseases and other nosocomial infections, which is of major concern in Canada. Most of the compounds demonstrating useful biological properties against these diseases possess a heterocyclic skeleton such as panacene, juglomycin A, mesembrine, lycoramine, aflatoxin B or isohydroxypsorofebrin. Unfortunately, the natural quantity of these products is highly limited and its extraction would damage the biodiversity of a whole ecosystem. Consequently, it is extremely important to discover new synthetic methods to get these structures quickly for a potential biomedical application. In this context, our research program is dedicated to the development of novel methodologies in heterocyclic chemistry and their application in total synthesis of natural bioactive compounds. During this research we will have to identify the structure of the compounds obtained after each reaction in order to check their feasibility. Among the numerous analytical techniques available for the chemist, low resolution mass spectrometry would be an efficient and indispensable tool for our laboratory. Indeed, this technique, allowing a fast determination of molecular mass compounds, is reliable, easy to use, versatile in terms of the types of compounds and highly sensitive. As it will be used everyday for checking the products of our reactions, this analytical instrument will represent a major asset for the development of our research program. This research would lead to the improvement of organic chemistry knowledge by the discovery of new classes of reactions as well as to long-term benefits for the health of Canadians with the synthesis of compounds demonstrating a high biomedical potential.