Chemistry professor Richmond Sarpong is the winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Synthetic Chemistry Award for 2015.
“I am very grateful for this award, which recognizes the creativity, passion, and tireless efforts of my talented coworkers. I am very much indebted to them for all our successes,” Sarpong says.
The Royal Society of Chemistry is the world’s leading chemistry community, advancing excellence in the chemical sciences. The Synthetic Organic Chemistry Award recognizes the development of new methods or strategies employed in the construction of organic molecules.
Sarpong’s research focuses on synthesizing natural products that may become the basis of future medicines. “Many of these molecules are isolated from microbes, plants and organisms on land and in the oceans,” says Sarpong. “However, only small amounts can be isolated from their natural sources, so we hope to prepare more of these compounds using synthesis to better study their bioactivity.”
Forty-seven previous winners of Royal Society of Chemistry awards have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their pioneering work. Award winners are evaluated for the originality and impact of their research, as well as the quality of the results. The awards also recognize the importance of teamwork across the chemical sciences and the abilities of individuals to develop successful collaborations.
More information on Royal Society of Chemistry Prizes and Awards:
www.rsc.org/awards-funding/awards