Noah Bartfield News Today

Yale chemists unlock synthesis of complex anticancer molecules from marine organisms after 30-year quest.

Nearly 30 years ago, scientists discovered a unique class of anticancer molecules in a family of bryozoans, a phylum of marine invertebrates found in tropical waters.

<p>Nearly 30 years ago, scientists discovered a unique class of anticancer molecules in a family of bryozoans, a phylum of marine invertebrates found in tropical waters.</p> <p>The chemical structures of these molecules, which consist of a dense, highly complex knot of oxidized rings and nitrogen atoms, has attracted the interest of organic chemists worldwide, who aimed to recreate these structures from scratch in the laboratory. However, despite considerable effort, it has rem...

Yale researchers have developed a novel approach to synthesize a highly complex group of molecules found in marine invertebrates.