| Citation | Dr Paterson is distinguished for his contributions to the stereocontrolled synthesis of biologically active natural products and pioneering work on new methods and reagents for the total synthesis of polyketides, which include anticancer agents, antibiotics and immunosuppressants. He has developed innovative strategies and general methods for the asymmetric synthesis of polyol building blocks, particularly by using substrate- and reagent-controlled aldol reactions, which greatly facilitate the efficient synthesis of structurally complex, polyoxygenated natural products. Notable achievements include the total synthesis of several rare anticancer agents, including swinholide A and discodermolide, as well as the macrolides, concanamycin F and oleandolide. |