Synthetic Chemistry

The sixth H3D symposium brings scientists and pharmaceutical researchers together around chemistry and biology for infectious diseases. The programme covers drug discovery, chemical biology, medicinal and synthetic chemistry, infectious-disease biology and enabling technologies, with scientific talks, posters and networking. It takes place at the Arabella Hotel, Golf and Spa outside Hermanus, South Africa, from 13 to 16 October 2026. Standard delegate registration is open until 10 October 2026. Abstract submission closed on 15 May and early registration closed on 31 July; those actions are no longer open.

A 12-month appointment in the Département de Chimie Moléculaire, a joint CNRS–Université Grenoble Alpes laboratory, funded by ANR’s SANTAC project. Create sequence-controlled DNA amphiphiles using solid-phase synthesis and non-natural building blocks, then investigate their self-assembly and delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids in cell models. Work combines phosphoramidite synthesis, purification, physicochemical characterization and biological assays. The planned start is 1 January 2027; applications close on 12 October 2026 at 23:59 source local time.

Develop bio-based organic solvents from renewable carbon for lithium- and sodium-ion battery electrolytes. Combine organic synthesis with NMR, FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopy, GC-MS and physical-property measurements, working with battery-performance researchers and industrial collaborators. The full-time appointment lasts two years with a possible one-year extension; start is 26 October 2026 or by agreement. Teaching may occupy up to 20% of working time. Apply by 16 October 2026.

A twelve-month postdoctoral project beginning in January 2027 studies electroactive chiral materials derived from [7]helicene, quasi[8]circulenes and neutral helical radicals incorporating tetrathiafulvalene. Combining helical scaffolds with electron-donor units is intended to influence charge delocalization, molecular packing, conductivity and spin filtering. The work builds on preliminary enantiomer resolution and synthesis results, and investigates chiroptical modulation, spin-dependent electrochemistry and chirality-induced spin selectivity. Collaborations involve theoretical chemistry and electrochemistry, with a possible short visit to the University of Modena. Applications require a cover letter, CV and one referee contact, sent to Flavia Pop by 31 October 2026.

Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and Barry Sharpless explain the development of reliable reactions for connecting molecular components and the extension of those reactions into biological systems. Meldal and Sharpless describe the ideas and discoveries behind click chemistry, including efficient azide–alkyne coupling, and its use as a practical strategy for building functional molecules. Bertozzi addresses the additional challenge of performing chemical reactions in living systems without disrupting their normal processes. Her account connects the study and labelling of cell-surface glycans with the emergence of bioorthogonal chemistry and its biological and medical applications. The lectures distinguish robust synthetic coupling from the further requirements imposed by chemistry in cells and organisms.

Benjamin List and David MacMillan explain how small organic molecules became versatile catalysts for constructing other molecules. Their lectures follow the independent development of asymmetric organocatalysis and the chemical reasoning that allows a catalyst to favour one mirror-image product over another. The central problem is control: accelerating useful reactions while steering their stereochemical outcome. The programme connects the early discoveries with the expansion of catalytic methods and their use in efficient synthesis, including molecules relevant to medicines. It presents organocatalysis as a broadly usable approach to molecular construction and examines how catalyst design can make selective chemical transformations more accessible.

RIKEN's Catalysis and Integrated Research Group is recruiting one postdoctoral researcher to develop radical fluoroalkylation reactions for the KAKENHI project Understanding the Distinct Reactivity of Fluorinated Radical Species and Developing Novel Molecular Transformations. The work combines catalytic reaction development, synthetic organic chemistry and chemical-biology applications. The official call is open until the position is filled, with employment expected to begin as early as possible.

Apurba Bhatacharya discusses the intellectual and aesthetic rewards of organic synthesis: devising a retrosynthetic plan and then realizing it experimentally. The talk considers how the distinct chemical properties of elements allow synthetic chemists to construct complex molecular networks. It connects this molecular craftsmanship with academic innovation and the sustained practical work of synthesis, presenting beauty and simplicity as ways to understand its apparent complexity. Speaker: Dr. Apurba Bhatacharya, Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemistry, Texas A and M University–Kingsville. Hosted by the School of Math and Physical Sciences, Chemistry Seminar Series. Wednesday 30 September 2026, 15:00–16:00 America/Chicago (CDT). The university invites attendees to Nierman Hall, Room 251, Texas A and M University–Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, USA. Those attending remotely can use the public Zoom link or Join Stream button on the official event page.

Louis Fensterbank traces organic synthesis from nineteenth-century natural-product isolation to the construction of increasingly complex molecules, and considers its contributions to medicine, agriculture, materials and longer lives. The lecture examines two current challenges: using automation and artificial intelligence to explore new chemical space for therapeutics and advanced materials, and developing greener synthesis that reduces waste, energy use and toxicity. It considers how molecular innovation can advance alongside environmental protection. Fensterbank is Professor at Collège de France. Makoto Fujita provides commentary; Marie Oshima moderates. Online via Zoom Webinar. Wednesday 28 October 2026, 13:30–14:30 JST (Asia/Tokyo; UTC+9). Public advance registration is required through the organizer’s event page. The lecture is in English with Japanese interpretation. Organized by Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study.