john braun

Obtained a 2nd degree teaching qualification. Educational minor in teaching chemistry at ICLON, including a six-month internship at Wolfert Dalton in Rotterdam.

My master internship at the Biosyn research group was focused on the design and synthesis of C-3 substituted 1-deoxy-castanospermine derivatives. These class of compounds are potential novel inhibitors of GBA and GCS in the development of a cure for Gaucher's disease.

My bachelor internship at the BioSyn research group was focused on the synthesis of a biological relevant iminosugar obtained from D-arabinose, using the Staudinger/aza-Wittig/Ugi (SAWU) 3-component reaction as a key transformation.

Total synthesis of Muironolide A, a complex natural compound isolated from the Phorbas marine sponge species. In 2009, the structure was eludicidated by Molinski et al. from a 90 µg sample obtained from seabed mining. Although Muironolide A shows antitumor activity in initial biological evaluations, a larger sample quantity is required for additional biological assays and understanding of its biological function. Hitherto, the Phorbas marine sponge specimen have not been found again and attention is drawn to means of synthetic reproduction. Muironolide A belongs to the class of polyketides and interestingly encompasses an extraordinary combination of functional groups, bearing a trichlorocyclopropyl moiety, trichlorocarbinol ester and a remarkably configured isoindolinone ring. To date, the total synthesis of Muironolide A remains a challenge.

Activities and Societies: Guitarist and keyboardist in the Molecular Science & Technology band.

Minor; obtained a 2nd degree teaching qualification

Part-time study in which the basics of Chemical Engineering were studied. This course is part of the Molecular Science & Technology study.