Research Areas

Our group focuses on areas of organic chemistry and chemical biology in order to provide useful small molecules and tools to facilitate researches in life sciences. Specifically, we aim at 1) exploring and applying novel chemical reactions with the goal to advance synthetic organic chemistry and chemical biology, 2) collaborating with biology research groups to shed light on intriguing problems in life sciences, and 3) discovering innovative approaches to address the demanding medical needs of human beings.

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Highlights

Tuoping Luo was born on 1982 in Fujian, China. He won a Gold Medal in the 33^rd International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO, 2001) during high school. From 2001 to 2005, he studied chemistry at Peking University and performed undergraduate research in Professor Zhen Yang’s group. In 2011, He received his Ph.D. degree with Professor Stuart L. Schreiber at Harvard University and Broad Institute. He did his post-doctorate research under the supervision of Dr. John Wang in H3 Biomedicine Inc., a start-up company focusing on oncology drug development. He returned to Peking University in 2013 and started his independent group, which concentrates on the development of biologically active small molecules. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure on 2019. His group aims to investigate the efficient synthesis and chemical biology problems of small molecules with important biological activities, especially structurally complex natural products. Highlighted synthetic achievements in the past few years include vinigrol, pseudopterosin A, caribenol A, ent-kauranoids, vinblastine, wortmannin, and batrachotoxinin A. These works not only have provided efficient and scalable preparation methods for a number of complex natural products with important biological activities, but also lay the foundation for tackling the synthetic challenges of even more complex molecules and the application of structurally and biologically unique compounds provided by our synthetic program. He was awarded Thieme Chemistry Journal Award (2017) and the 7^th CSC-RSC Distinguished Young Investigator Award.

Honors

• 2013    The Recruitment Program of Global Youth Experts 

• 2017    Thieme Chemistry Journal Award 

• 2017    Greenleaf Distinguished Young Investigator in Biomedical Research 

• 2019    The 7^th CSC-RSC Distinguished Young Investigator Award 

Selected Publications

1. Chen, H.; Li, Z.; Shao, P.; Yuan, H.; Chen, S.-C.; Luo, T.* Total Synthesis of (+)-Mutilin: A Transannular [2+2] Cycloaddition/Fragmentation Approach. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 15462−15467.

2. Kong, L.; Yu, H.; Deng, M.; Wu, F.; Jiang, Z.; Luo, T.* Enantioselective Total Syntheses of Grayanane Diterpenoids: (–)-Grayanotoxin III, (+)-Principinol E, and (–)-Rhodomollein XX. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 5268−5273.

3. Fang, X.; Zhang, N.; Chen, S.-C.; Luo, T.* Scalable Total Synthesis of (–)-Triptonide: Serendipitous Discovery of a Visible-Light-Promoted Olefin Coupling Initiated by Metal-Catalyzed Hydrogen Atom Transfer (MHAT). J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 2218−2224.

4. Chen, S.-C.; Zhu, Q.; Cao, Y.; Li, C.; Guo, Y.; Kong, L.; Che, J.; Guo, Z.; Chen, H.; Zhang, N.; Fang, X.; Lu, J.-T.; Luo, T.* Dealkenylative Ni-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Enabled by Tetrazine and Photoexcitation. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 14046−14052.

5. Cai, Y.#; Zhou, H.#; Zhu, Y.#; Sun, Q.; Ji, Y.; Xue, A.; Wang, Y.; Chen, W.; Yu, X.; Wang, L.; Chen, H.; Li, C.; Luo, T.*; Deng, H.* Elimination of Senescent Cells by β-Galactosidase-Targeted Prodrug Attenuates Inflammation and Restores Physical Function in Aged Mice. Cell Res. 2020, 30, 574−589.

6. Guo, Y.; Guo, Z.; Lu, J.-T.; Fang, R.; Chen, S.-C.; Luo, T.* Total Synthesis of (–)-Batrachotoxinin A: A Local-Desymmetrization Approach. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 3675−3679.

7. Kong, L.#; Su, F. #; Yu, H.; Jiang, Z.; Lu, Y.; Luo, T.* Total Synthesis of (–)-Oridonin: An Interrupted-Nazarov Approach. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 20048−20052.

8. Yu, X.; Xiao, L.; Wang, Z.; Luo, T.* Scalable Total Synthesis of (–)-Vinigrol. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 3440−3443.

9. Guo, Y. #; Quan, T. #; Lu, Y.; Luo, T.* Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (+)-Wortmannin. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 6815−6818.

10. Yu, X.; Su, F.; Liu, C.; Yuan, H.; Zhao, S.; Zhou, Z.; Quan, T.; Luo, T.* Enantioselective Total Syntheses of Various Amphilectane and Serrulatane Diterpenoids via Cope Rearrangements. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 6261−6270.