Total Syntheses of Cystobactamids and Structural Confirmation of Cystobactamid 919‐2

The cystobactamids are a family of antibacterial natural products with unprecedented chemical scaffolds that are active against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative pathogens. Herein, we describe the first total synthesis of cystobactamid 919‐2 from three fragments. Our convergent synthesis enabled both the confirmation of the correct structure and the determination of the absolute configuration of cystobactamid 919‐2.     

Semisynthese. Chemie mit den Molekülen der Natur

In Semisynthesis complex molecules have to be manipulated in a chemoselective, regioselective, and stereoselective fashion, necessitating smart protective group operations and innovative synthesis development. Key are always easily accessible and suitable starting materials, especially intermediates which can be produced by biotechnological processes. An extensive synthetic construction of drug candidates carries high innovative and intellectual property protection potential, hence multistep semi‐ and even total syntheses are an integral part of modern industrial research and drug development. Not a long time ago, the complexity such realized would have been inconceivable, which profoundly illustrates the progress synthesis methodology has made. Semisynthesis always aims more toward focussed application, and hence its scientific contribution mostly cater to the elucidation of molecular correlations. Especially the study of cellular processes and their quantification will be stimulated in the future. Thereby semisynthesis will continue to bridge the key future areas of synthesis research and chemical biology.