Angewandte Chemie. International edition in English 2012-12-07

How thiostrepton was made in the laboratory.

K C Nicolaou

Index: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 51(50) , 12414-36, (2012)

Full Text: HTML

Abstract

Thiostrepton, a powerful antibiotic belonging to the thiopeptide class, was synthesized in the laboratory for the first time in 2004 through an arduous campaign involving novel strategies and tactics, scenic detours, and unexpected roadblocks. In this Review the author narrates the long journey to success, not so dissimilar to Odysseus' return voyage to Ithaca, full of adventure, knowledge, and wisdom.Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.