Nicolaou, Kyriacos
Natural Products Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Bioorganic, Organic, Pharmaceutical
Natural Products Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Bioorganic, Organic, Pharmaceutical
Contact Information
Professor Emeritus
Office: Pacific Hall 6100A
Phone: 858-784-2400
Email: knicolaou@ucsd.edu
Group: View group members
Office: Pacific Hall 6100A
Phone: 858-784-2400
Email: knicolaou@ucsd.edu
Group: View group members
Education
1972 Ph.D., University College London
1969 B.Sc., Bedford College London
1972 Ph.D., University College London
1969 B.Sc., Bedford College London
Awards and Academic Honors
2011
Member, American Philosophical Society
2011
Honorary Life Fellow, Singapore National Institute of Chemistry
2011
Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry, The Franklin Institute
2010
Science Award, Ministry of Education and Culture, Cyprus
2009
San Diego BioPharma Achievement Award
2009
Member, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels
2009
Member, German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
2009
Lampousa Lifetime Achievement Award (Cypriot American Association)
2009
Honorary Membership, Israel Chemical Society
2008
Charles Chandler Medal, Columbia University
2008
August-Wilhelm-von-Hofmann-Denkmünze Award
2007
ISHC Senior Award in Heterocyclic Chemistry
2007
Honorary Fellowship, Indian Academy of Sciences
2007
ACS Western Regional Meeting Award of Excellence
2006
Burkardt-Helferich Prize, Germany
2006
ACS (Auburn Section) Auburn G.M. Kosolapoff Award
2005
ACS Arthur C. Cope Award
2004
Honorary Fellowship, Chemical Research Society of India, India
2004
Aristeio Bodossaki Prize, Bodossaki Foundation, Greece
2003
ACS Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry
2002
Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Organic Chemistry
2001
Nagoya Medal of Organic Chemistry, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
2001
Kitasato Institute Medal, The Kitasato Institute, Minato-ku, Japan
2001
Greek American Scientists, Engineers, and High Tech Entrepeneurs Award
2001
Foreign Member, Academy of Athens, Greece
2001
Ernst Schering Prize, Ernst Schering Research Foundation
2000-2001
Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Medal, United Kingdom
2000
Paul Karrer Gold Medal, Switzerland
2000
Max Tishler Prize, Harvard University
1999
Yamada Prize (Japan)
1999
first Aspirin Prize for Solidarity through Chemistry (Spain)
1999
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
1998
Press Club Headliner Award, San Diego Press Club
1998
Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest, American Chemical Society
1997
Cliff S. Hamilton Award in Organic Chemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
1996
William H. Nichols Medal, New York Section-American Chemical Society
1996
Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
1996
Linus Pauling Award, Oregon, Portland, Puget Sound Sections-American Chemical Society
1996
Inhoffen Medal of the Gesellschaft fur Biotechnologische Forschung mbH (GBF)
1996
Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products, American Chemical Society
1994
Dr. Paul Janssen Prize for Creativity in Organic Synthesis
1993
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1993
Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, American Chemical Society
1993
Alan R. Day Award, Philadelphia Organic Chemist's Club
1988
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Award
1987-1988
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation US Senior Scientist Award
1987
Fellow, New York Academy of Sciences
1987
ACS Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award
1984
J. S. Guggenheim Fellow
1983
ACS, Philadelphia Section Award
1980-1984
Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award
1979-1983
A.P. Sloan Fellowship
1973-1976
Research Associate, Harvard University
1972-1973
Research Associate, Columbia University
Research Interests
Man's fascination with natural substances goes back to ancient times. With the discovery of salicin from willow tree extracts and the development of aspirin in 1899, the art of exploiting natural products became a molecular science. The discovery of penicillin in 1928 and its subsequent development as an antiinfective agent represents another milestone in the history of natural products, and marked the beginning of a new era in drug discovery, in which bacteria and fungi were added to the plant kingdom as sources for biologically active compounds.
Today, with marine organisms and other living creatures as additional sources of active compounds, the chemistry and biology of natural products represents a major avenue to drug discovery and development. Indeed, a large portion of today's major drugs have their origins in nature. It is, therefore, not surprising that one of the most flourishing and rewarding frontiers in modern science is the study of the chemistry and biology of natural products.
But man's imagination does not stop at the frontiers defined by nature. With the ever-increasing power of organic synthesis, the advent of combinatorial chemistry and the major advances occurring in biology today, the synthetic organic chemist is poised to make important contributions by developing new enabling technologies for biology and medicine.
In our laboratories, the study of the chemistry and biology of natural products and designed molecules encompasses total synthesis, solid phase chemistry, molecular design, combinatorial synthesis and biological investigations. Targets are selected on the basis of novel molecular architecture, important biological activity and interesting mechanism of action. The aim is to optimize the opportunity for discovery and invention and to provide challenging arenas for education and training.
These concepts serve as the foundation for our research programs, which amalgamate natural products chemistry, organic synthesis and chemical biology. Recent examples include the total synthesis of TaxolTM, brevetoxins A and B, epothilones A and B, eleutherobin and sarcodictyins, vancomycin, CP molecules, sanglifehrin A, everninomicin, a number of bisorbicillinoids, apoptolidin and diazonamide A.
Today, with marine organisms and other living creatures as additional sources of active compounds, the chemistry and biology of natural products represents a major avenue to drug discovery and development. Indeed, a large portion of today's major drugs have their origins in nature. It is, therefore, not surprising that one of the most flourishing and rewarding frontiers in modern science is the study of the chemistry and biology of natural products.
But man's imagination does not stop at the frontiers defined by nature. With the ever-increasing power of organic synthesis, the advent of combinatorial chemistry and the major advances occurring in biology today, the synthetic organic chemist is poised to make important contributions by developing new enabling technologies for biology and medicine.
In our laboratories, the study of the chemistry and biology of natural products and designed molecules encompasses total synthesis, solid phase chemistry, molecular design, combinatorial synthesis and biological investigations. Targets are selected on the basis of novel molecular architecture, important biological activity and interesting mechanism of action. The aim is to optimize the opportunity for discovery and invention and to provide challenging arenas for education and training.
These concepts serve as the foundation for our research programs, which amalgamate natural products chemistry, organic synthesis and chemical biology. Recent examples include the total synthesis of TaxolTM, brevetoxins A and B, epothilones A and B, eleutherobin and sarcodictyins, vancomycin, CP molecules, sanglifehrin A, everninomicin, a number of bisorbicillinoids, apoptolidin and diazonamide A.
Primary Research Area
Organic Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Interdisciplinary interests
Bioorganic
Synthesis
Synthesis
Image Gallery
Total Synthesis of Calicheamicin γ1I [1992]
Total Synthesis of Taxol [1994]
Total Synthesis of Brevetoxins B and A [1982-1998]
Total Synthesis of Calicheamicin γ1I [1992]
Total Synthesis of Taxol [1994]
Total Synthesis of Brevetoxins B and A [1982-1998]
Selected Publications
- Classics in Total Synthesis III, With J.S. Chen, Wiley-VCH Publishers, Weinheim, Germany, (2011).
- Inspirations, Discoveries, and Future Perspectives in Total Synthesis, J. Org. Chem. (2009), 74, 951-972.
- Molecules That Changed the World, With T. Montagnon, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany, (2008).
- Classics in Total Synthesis II. With S.A. Snyder, Wiley-VCH Publishers, Weinheim, Germany, (2003).
- The CP Molecule Labyrinth: A Paradigm of How Endeavors in Total Synthesis Lead to Discoveries and Inventions in Organic Synthesis. With P.S. Baran, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 41, 2678 (2002).
- The Art and Science of Total Synthesis at the Dawn of the the Twenty-first Century. With D. Vourloumis, N. Winssinger, and P. S. Baran. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 39, 44 (2000).
- Total Synthesis of Brevetoxin A, With Z. Yang, G.-Q. Shi, J.L. Gunzner, K.A. Agrios, P. Gärtner, Nature (1998), 392, 264-269.
- Classics in Total Synthesis. With E.J. Sorensen. VCH Publishers, Weinheim, Germany, (1996).
- Total Synthesis of Taxol, With Z. Yang, J.J. Liu, H. Ueno, P.G. Nantermet, R.K. Guy, C.F. Claiborne, J.B. Renaud, E.A. Couladouros, K. Paulvannan, E.J. Sorensen, Nature (1994), 367, 630-634.