title: Joys of molecules. 1. Campaigns in total synthesis.
abstract: Our bodies are made of molecules, and it is from molecules that we derive our strength and joys. The joys of molecules manifest themselves in many ways. These include beautiful colors, exquisite aromas, distinct tastes, psychological ups and downs, and intellectual inspirations, among other forms of stimulation, material or spiritual. In this Perspective, written on the occasion of the 2005 American Chemical Society Arthur C. Cope Award address, I recount some of the joys I have experienced and shared with my students during campaigns to synthesize some of Nature's most intriguing and complex molecules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. kcn@scripps.edu
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Nicolaou
mesh_terms: D001688:Biological Products / Q000138:chemical synthesis*
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products