IIT Bombay’s new finding could make drug discovery ‘faster, cheaper, more sustainable’, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• Scientists at IIT Bombay have developed a novel and efficient method to convert simple, straight-chain carbon compounds into complex ring-shaped molecules.
• This breakthrough, led by Professor Debabrata Maiti, was published in the prestigious Nature journal.
• The new method aims to make drug discovery faster, cheaper, and more sustainable by simplifying a previously multi-step and expensive process.
• The research team successfully synthesized over 10 biologically and industrially relevant molecules, including muricatacin, using this innovative approach.

Detailed Insights:

• The method solves a long-standing problem in synthetic chemistry by enabling selective targeting of specific carbon atoms in long chains for ring formation.
• It utilizes a newly developed chemical compound that allows for conversion in fewer steps, with greater efficiency and significantly reduced chemical wastage.
• The process is broadly applicable, acting as a platform to convert simple saturated fatty acids into a wide array of bioactive molecules.
• This innovation holds potential for studying and improving compounds used in traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda for modern drug development.
• Somnath Kar from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre collaborated on this significant research.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Synthetic Chemistry: The branch of chemistry focused on artificially creating organic compounds with specific structures.
• Catalysis: The process of accelerating a chemical reaction using a substance that is not consumed in the reaction.
• Drug Discovery: The complex process of identifying potential new therapeutic agents and developing them into medicines.
• Green Chemistry: The design of chemical products and processes that minimize or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances.