The wide chemical diversity of natural products from marine invertebrates (sea sponges, ascidians, soft corals, etc.), algae and microbes, is matched by potent biological activity; indeed, several marine derived-drugs have now been approved as therapeutics in cancer treatment, pain management and other conditions. The history of natural products is deeply embedded within that of organic chemistry as the “engines of its development" (E. J. Corey), and structure elucidation is still at the heart of natural products discovery. Despite advancements in modern spectroscopy, challenging problems in establishing constitution and stereochemistry still arise. My research group has seized upon those as opportunities for development of inventive tools in marine natural products (MNPs); not only in NMR and CD spectroscopy (our 'nanomole-scale' project to fully characterize minute samples), but also synthetic methodology. Over the years, I have come to view the discovery of new molecules as not so much a matter of compound procurement, but bringing to light chemical information – ‘<i>chemical blueprints’</i>- embodied in bond constitution and stereochemistry that propel multidisciplinary investigations in pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, chemical ecology, and of course, total synthesis. In this talk, I will illustrate highlights of the past three decades of independent research in MNP chemistry, along with more recent findings. The objective is to share the extraordinarily rich landscape of structural and biological chemistry that first captured my imagination and continues to inspire collaboration and exploration on new scientific frontiers.

Marine natural products: Chemistry, discovery and adventure in the ‘wine dark sea’

ACS Spring 2022

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