Research Areas

Despite rapid advances in synthetic organic chemistry, many classes of small molecules remain inefficient to access using conventional methods. Enzymatic reactions, on the other hand, offer unparalleled potential for highly selective chemical transformations. By combining the power of modern enzyme engineering tools and advances in genome mining, The Renata laboratory aims to develop practical enzymatic solutions for traditionally challenging organic reactions, especially in the realm of C–H functionalization chemistry. The utility of these transformations will be showcased in the concise, scalable synthesis of bioactive natural products and their analogues, which in turn will serve as potential leads in drug discovery efforts or novel chemical probes to interrogate various cellular processes. These goals are pursued through collaborative efforts that take advantage of the uniquely interdisciplinary ecosystem at Scripps Research. Research projects are designed to be multi-faceted, providing students with broad exposure to synthetic organic chemistry, molecular biology, enzyme engineering and medicinal chemistry to ensure that they are well-equipped for future careers in both academia and industry.