Research in our laboratory is directed towards the synthesis of bioactive natural compounds, design and synthesis of peptidomimetics of biologically important peptides, and development of efficient synthesizing methods to support this.


1. Total Synthesis: Efforts are currently under way in our laboratory towards the total synthesis of indole and piperazine alkaloids and analogues with suppressive activity for multiple drug resistance in tumor cells, the delaying of the progression of Alzheimer’ disease, insulin mimetic, anti-fungal activity, and anti-tumor activity.

2. New Reactions and Synthetic Methods: In order to facilitate the synthesis of biologically active compounds, we are developing new and efficient strategies in synthetic chemistry using domino reactions, pericyclic reaction (electrocyclization, Claisen and Cope rearrangement), selective and mild oxidants, optically active ylides, and two-phase-transfer catalysts.  As an example, we have recently developed domino reactions, olefination, isomerization, and Claisen rearrangement, which constructs stereoselectively quaternary asymmetric carbon centers, followed by reductive cyclization to produce the important framework of indole alkaloids.

3. Non-protein Amino Acids: We are examining the preparation of arylglycines as non-protein amino acids, and developing the synthesis of bioactive peptides and non-peptides.

4. Peptide-Mimetic: Research is under way in our laboratory directed towards the design, synthesis, and study of small non-peptide molecules mimicking the β-turn structure of biologically important peptides.