Chem 425a552

1
Chem 425a/552 D. Pavia
NATURAL PRODUCTS CHEMISTRY
LILAC PROBLEM (Poster Project)
1. This is a group library/ computer search /
poster project. 2. The point of the project is
for a group of two students to prepare a poster
(max size 54W x 36H) about an alkaloid. A
poster topic that researches a different
type of natural product is possible, but you must
obtain my permission in advance. 3. Work
in groups of two (2) students. There will be a
sign up sheet to avoid any duplication of
topic, and so that I will know who is in each
group, and who is responsible for each
section of the poster. Grad students will work
individually. 4. Each student will have full
responsibility for one of the following required
sections 1) Structure proof 2) Biosynthesis
3) Chemical Synthesis and joint
responsibility for for the third one. It is
possible that information may not be available
for either (2) or (3). 5. Two additional
sections will be prepared by the group a)
Source, history and ethnobotany (short
please) b) An annotated bibliography of all
sources consulted Place both on an 8-1/2 x
11 sheet of paper (landscape), font size 10 or
12 pt. 6. Each student will receive a grade on
their own section (160 points, 80)
2
7. The poster will receive an additional 40
points (20) for overall quality. 8. I will ask
each student to submit and estimate of their
contribution to the project and an estimate
for the work of the other students this will be
assigned up to 20 additional points (on top
of poster grades). 9. Each students grade will
be the sum of the grade for their section (6)
plus the overall grade (7), PLUS the points
for submitting the estimate form (8). Up to
220 points may be earned. 10. Posters will be
displayed for faculty and students to view. 11.
The ultimate poster grade will be mine, based on
all the input I receive. Interested
faculty will be encouraged to submit comments, as
will other students, including those in
other groups. 12. Be sure to do a good job! And
dont forget, you may consult me as a resource
if you are having difficulties.
You must pick a natural product, and it must be
approved by me. It is a good idea to get started
early. You must select a topic and then find out
if all the 3 types of information you need are
available. This will take some initial work in
the library. If you cant find the needed
information you will need to choose a different
topic. Or you may find that all the work is
published in German or Chinese! You do not want
to find this out in the last couple of weeks. You
could run out of time!
3
EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE TOPICS
lycorine emetine chelidonine saxitoxin (red
tide) sparteine ibogamine catharanthine batrachot
oxin (frog) reserpine physostigmine colchicine ro
quefortine (Penicillium) galanthamine quinine st
rychnine gephyrotoxin (frog) lycopodine glaucine
coccinelline (Lady Bug) echinulin erythraline p
rotostephanine gliotoxin (viral RNA
inhibitor) betanidin tomatidine solanidine dendro
bine tetrodotoxin taxol (Yew tree) zoanthoxanin
(Sea Anemone and corals) samandarine nitropolyzon
amine (millipede) yohimbine
.. and many others (with permission)
Some topics will be more difficult than others
because of the complexity of the natural product
structure. Also, if the structure is too simple,
it will not make a good topic (you will have
little to say). Make sure before you start that
the information you need is available in a
language you can read.