Andy Sutherland

Synthesis and evaluation of enantiomeric quinoline-2-carboxamides: positron emission tomography imaging agents for the translocator protein The translocator protein (TSPO) is a key biomarker for inflammation. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of TSPO has emerged as a valuable tool for investigating multiple disorders throughout…

🔓Don't miss this #OpenAccess paper in our latest issue by @andysuth14.bsky.social & co @uofgchem.bsky.social & @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social on the synthesis of enantiomeric quinoline-2-carboxamides as PET imaging agents for the translocator protein #medchem

Check it out🔽

PhD in Chemistry - Development of Organic Synthetic Methods for the Discovery of Novel Fluorescent- Amino Acid and Peptide-Based Imaging Agents at University of Glasgow on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - PhD in Chemistry - Development of Organic Synthetic Methods for the Discovery of Novel Fluorescent- Amino Acid and Peptide-Based Imaging Agents at University of Glasgow, listed on FindAP...

A PhD is available in the Sutherland group to develop synthetic methods to access novel amino acid and peptide-based probes to start in October 2026. Deadlines for applications is 31st March. See link for details: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Regioselective Iodination of Arenes Using Iron- or Silver-Catalyzed Activation of N-Iodosaccharin Aryl iodides are privileged intermediates in organic synthesis, underpinning cross-coupling chemistry, late-stage functionalization, and radiolabeling in medicinal chemistry. However, regioselective arene iodination remains a challenge, as traditional electrophilic iodination methods often require harsh conditions, exhibit poor selectivity, or suffer from limited functional group tolerance and substrate scope. We report a rapid and regioselective arene iodination enabled by Lewis acid activation of N-iodosaccharin. Iron(III) chloride and silver(I) triflimide were found to catalyze the efficient iodination of a broad range of electron-rich arenes at room temperature. The method displayed broad functional group tolerance and was applicable to complex substrates, including natural products and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the iodination was found to be compatible with cross-coupling reactions, allowing one-pot halogenation and arylation sequences for direct access to biaryl compounds.

Congratulations to Pankaj Majhi and Catherine Fleming from the group (@uofgchem.bsky.social) whose paper on iron or silver-catalysed arene iodination was published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry (@acs.org) today: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Congratulations to everyone involved in this study, particularly our collaborators, Adriana Tavares and the Edinburgh team. Great to see our TSPO PET tracer LW223 take another big step forward with the first set of successful clinical trials in healthy patients (@uofgchem.bsky.social).

Hot off the Press A personal selection of 32 recent papers is presented covering various aspects of current developments in bioorganic chemistry and novel natural products such as humulupone A from Humulus lupulus.

🔥Take a look at the last Hot off the Press article of 2025 by Robert Hill & @andysuth14.bsky.social on their selection of 32 recent papers covering the latest research in bioorganic chemistry & novel natural products #naturalproducts #natprod

📍 @uofgchem.bsky.social

Anyone interest in doing a molecular imaging PhD in my group via a James McCune Smith Scholarship, please get in touch: www.gla.ac.uk/scholarships...

Hot off the Press A personal selection of 32 recent papers is presented covering various aspects of current developments in bioorganic chemistry and novel natural products such as hypbeaone A from Hypericum beanii.

🔥Be sure to read the latest Hot Off the Press article by Robert Hill &
@andysuth14.bsky.social from @uofgchem.bsky.social on their selection of 32 recent papers covering the latest research in bioorganic chemistry & novel natural products #naturalproducts

Find it here🔽

I hope you find the article useful. 👍

Expanding the fluorescence toolkit: molecular design, synthesis and biological application of unnatural amino acids Fluorescence imaging has become an indispensable tool in modern biology, enabling the visualisation of dynamic molecular processes with spatial and temporal precision. Traditional strategies rely heav...

A perspective is published today in Chemical Science from the group that describes the design, synthesis and applications of fluorescent amino acids. Well done to Olivia Marshall (@uofgchem.bsky.social): pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

Heterocyclic and Synthesis Group - Call for Committee - August 2025 Please take the time to complete our survey. Your feedback is important.

RSC Heterocyclic and Synthesis group is looking for committee members!
I did this for 6 years and it was awesome. You should be an RSC HSG member (you can join right now), and it's best if you're planning on attending some events in person, typically in UK. #chemsky
www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/nmw4wm

🚨 Looking for a new research opportunity?🚨 | Louise Walport 🚨 Looking for a new research opportunity?🚨 We are looking to recruit two talented postdocs to join our group based at the Molecular Science Research Hub at Imperial College London: - Both to join ou...

Are you excited about using cyclic #peptides in #DrugDiscovery?

Here is a great opportunity to perform a #postdoc with a great mentor in the group of @ljwalport.bsky.social at @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social!

www.linkedin.com/posts/louise...

#ChemBio #Chemistry #ChemSky

Environment-sensitive fluorescent tryptophan analogues via indole C-2 alkenylation reactions A modular synthetic strategy for the preparation of intrinsically fluorescent unnatural α-amino acids by C-2 oxidation and alkenylation of a tryptophan-derived tetrahydro-β-carboline is described.…

New from @andysuth14.bsky.social and first author @isovaleral.bsky.social

'Environment-sensitive fluorescent tryptophan analogues via indole C-2 alkenylation reactions'

#OpenAccess 🔓

One-Pot Synthesis of Alkynyl-Conjugated Phenylalanine Analogues for Peptide-Based Fluorescent Imaging A series of unnatural amino acids featuring conjugated aryl–alkyne side chains was synthesized from tyrosine via a one-pot hydroxyl group activation and copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling. This ef...

Congratulations to Olivia Marshall who published her fifth paper today from her PhD and third in Organic Letters (@pubs.acs.org). The paper describes a one-pot method for the synthesis of fluorescent environment-sensitive alkynyl phenylalanines: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Hot off the Press A personal selection of 32 recent papers is presented covering various aspects of current developments in bioorganic chemistry and novel natural products, such as shimianolide A from Chloranthus…

🔥Don't miss the latest Hot off the Press article by Robert A. Hill & @andysuth14.bsky.social‬ at @uofgchem.bsky.social on their selection of 32 recent papers covering the latest research in bioorganic chemistry & novel natural products #natprod

Check it out below🔽

A great end to the week by @isovaleral.bsky.social who gave a great talk at PET is wonderful meeting 2025 in Edinburgh on SV2A imaging.

Environment-sensitive fluorescent tryptophan analogues via indole C-2 alkenylation reactions A modular synthetic strategy for the preparation of intrinsically fluorescent unnatural α-amino acids by C-2 oxidation and alkenylation of a tryptophan-derived tetrahydro-β-carboline is described. Thi...

Congratulations to @isovaleral.bsky.social for her recent publication in @chemcomm.rsc.org of a new tryptophan-derived lipid-sensitive fluorophore. In collaboration with the @stevenmagennis.bsky.social group, we also show this is amenable to two-photon excitation: pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

New review article published today in Pharmacological Reviews on Total-Body PET Imaging for Tracer Development: doi.org/10.1016/j.ph...

Hot off the Press A personal selection of 32 recent papers is presented covering various aspects of current developments in bioorganic chemistry and novel natural products such as melichuniione A from Melicope chunii.

🔥Be sure to read the latest Hot Off the Press article by Bob Hill & @andysuth14.bsky.social at @uofgchem.bsky.social on their selection of 32 recent papers covering the latest research in bioorganic chemistry & novel natural products #natprod

Find it below🔽
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

Fantastic support from EPSRC IAA to allow us to translate a PET imaging agent to first in human studies…. @uofgchem.bsky.social

Synthesis of Fluorescent Dibenzofuran α-Amino Acids: Conformationally Rigid Analogues of Tyrosine We report two synthetic strategies for the preparation of dibenzofuran α-amino acids, expanding the structural toolbox of fluorescent probes. The strategies involved dibenzofuran synthesis via a Pd(II)-catalyzed C–O cyclization, alongside an efficient Negishi coupling approach for faster access to analogues. These rigid tyrosine mimics possess enhanced fluorescent properties compared to proteinogenic amino acids as demonstrated by application of the lead compound as a FRET donor for monitoring peptide hydrolysis by a serine protease.

New paper published from the group today in Organic Letters on novel fluorescent dibenzofuran amino acids that are compatible with peptide synthesis and can be used in FRET assays. Well done everyone involved! @uofgchem.bsky.social
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Expedient discovery of fluorogenic amino acid-based probes via one-pot palladium-catalysed arylation of tyrosine To overcome the limitations of using large extrinsic chromophores for biological imaging, fluorescent unnatural α-amino acids have been widely adopted as intrinsic peptidic probes. Although various cl...

Congratulations to Olivia Marshall, Rochelle McGrory and Sineenard Songsri for the new paper today in Chemical Science on new biaryl fluorescent amino acids for chemical biology applications. Another great collaboration with Drew Thomson (@uofgchem.bsky.social).
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

Synthesis and evaluation of 6-arylaminobenzamides as positron emission tomography imaging ligands for the sphingosine-1-phosphate-5 receptor The sphingosine-1-phosphate-5 (S1P5) receptor is one of the five membrane G protein-coupled receptors that are activated by the lysophospholipid, sphingosine-1-phosphate, resulting in regulation of ma...

Another great collaborative project with the Tavares group at the University of Edinburgh on the development of a new 18F-imaging agent for the S1P5 receptor. Congrats to all group members past and present who worked on this: pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

PhD in Chemistry - Development of Organic Synthetic Methods for the Discovery of Novel Fluorescent- and Radionuclide-Based Imaging Agents at University of Glasgow on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - PhD in Chemistry - Development of Organic Synthetic Methods for the Discovery of Novel Fluorescent- and Radionuclide-Based Imaging Agents at University of Glasgow, listed on FindAPhD.com

We have a 3.5 year PhD studentship available in the group for an October 2025 start. If you are interested in organic synthesis and developing new imaging agents, see: findaphd.com/phds/project...
Closing date for applications is the 1st February

Call For Papers: Undergraduate Research as the Stimulus for Scientific Progress in the USA | ACS Publications Chemistry Blog This Special Issue will highlight the significant research activities at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) in the United States and their unique focus on fostering student engagement in STEM...

Happy to announce I will be guest editing a special issue highlight PUI research! Please share

axial.acs.org/cross-discip...

By contrast, the UK as a whole has a Nobel Index of just 132.8, and the US has a paultry 85.2. Not bad for a wee country!

The Nobel Index is calculated as Scientific Nobel Prizes per million head of population times 100. See this link for more information: stats.areppim.com/stats/stats_...

Could I be added too please?

Direct observation of subunit rotation during DNA strand exchange by serine recombinases - Nature Communications Serine recombinases are proposed to catalyse DNA site-specific recombination by a unique mechanism called subunit rotation. Here, the authors use single molecule FRET to provide direct structural and ...

Very happy to see this paper out after many years in the making. Collaboration with Prof. Marshall Stark. First author is Dr. Gill Cadden. @gillcadden.bsky.social
@uofgchem.bsky.social @naturecomms.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1038/s414...

Fully funded 3.5-year PhD position in my group (wijnne.com) at @uofgchem.bsky.social, to start on 1 October 2024 (or 2025 by now...). Come help us understand the role of amorphous aggregates in non-classical crystal nucleation tinyurl.com/2p9mbp3x

Mount Allison University: Synthetic Organic Chemistry with applications to Bioorganic or Medicinal Chemistry https://chempostingscanada.blogspot.com/2024/11/mount-allison-university-synthetic.html

OK #chemsky do your thing. I have an immediate PhD vacancy working on a MOF / crystallography / electron diffraction project with Syngenta. Home fees and stipend are covered. Spread the word!