Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

BC's forest products are rich in naturally occuring terpenes, a class of molecules that display anti-fungal,x000D
anti-bacterial and medicinal bioactivity. These molecules can be further chemically modifed to accessx000D
compounds of commercial value as flavours and fragrances as well as medicines, herbicides and pesticides.x000D
All of these products are bioproducts and they enhance the commercial opportunity of BC's Forestry Industry.x000D
Notably chemical modification of terpenes has not included strategies for incorporating nitrogen into thesex000D
complex molecular structures. However, nitrogen containing terpenes are a class of naturally occuringx000D
products called terpenoid-alkaloids and such natural products are known to display potent biological activity.x000D
For example, terpenoid-alkaloids have been used in cancer therapies and in treatments for heart disease.x000D
Recent advances in the Schafer laboratory at UBC have resulted in the development of new catalyticx000D
technologies that can install nitrogen into terpenes in one efficient chemical transformation. There are nox000D
waste by-products formed and the transformation is energy efficient, making this chemical reaction ideallyx000D
suited for application in commercial processes. This proposal will prepare 20 different syntheticx000D
terpenoid-alkaloids for investigation as potential drugs. This work will be completed in collaboration withx000D
Nanaimo Forest Products to determine preferred terpenes for modification and with the Centre for Drugx000D
Research and Development in Vancouver for screening of new terpenoid-alkaloids for biological activity.