Wang Yao

• Developed synthetic organic process for long oligonucleotide (guideRNA) synthesis, focusing on solid-phase synthesis with various phosphoramidite chemistry approaches. • Developed downstream purification methods for guide RNA materials using ion-pair reversed-phase (IP-RP). • Spearheaded long-guide RNA production through the implementation of enzymatic ligation strategies. • Developed chemical bioconjugation reactions for the synthesis of novel oligonucleotide products for gene editing applications. • Executed synthetic processes to produce drug substances for GLP toxicology studies. • Engaged in CMC team initiatives, including manufacturing strategies and evaluating CDMO partnerships.

• Worked in a team to develop the excited-state Pd-catalyzed C-2 selective reduction, deuteration, and iodination of carbohydrates and prepare the manuscript for publication. • Conducted reaction discovery using the high throughput experimentation (HTE) technique. • Led a team to finish the excited-state Pd-catalyzed radical-migration iodination of carbohydrates. • Performed substrates scope exploration and mechanistic studies (UV absorption, Stern Volmer quenching, quantum yield measurement, etc.) for the excited-state Pd-catalyzed C-2 selective functionalization of carbohydates. • Designed, synthesized, and evaluated novel chiral ligands for the development of enantioselective, reductive cross-electrophile coupling of alkenylpyridines with aldehydes via dual Lewis acid/photoredox catalysis. • Learned and conducted DFT calculations for chiral ligand design and synthesis. • Mentored and trained 5 graduate students.

Development of novel asymmetric C-C bond-forming reactions via copper hydride-catalyzed conditions.

Developed a new strategy for the stereoselective synthesis of 3-amino and 3-nitro-2,3,6-trideoxypyranoses. • Designed new synthetic routes for substrate synthesis. • Conducted reaction optimization and substrate scope preparation. • Synthesized di- and tri-saccharide units of saccharomycins as an application of a developed reaction. • Participated in the reaction optimization of a visible light-mediated reductive deiodination reaction for the synthesis of α-linked 2-deoxy glycosides. • Involved in the development of interrupted pummerer reaction-based latent-active glycosylation project. • Synthesized and characterized most sugar acceptors and iodosaccharides.