I have seven years of experience in the discovery, isolation, structural characterization, and synthesis of marine natural products that includes bioactive molecules such as anti-cancer, anti-HIV integrase, anti-leishmanial and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. I have used state of the art chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, and have developed analytical methods for separation and purification of active molecules. Synthetic studies include multistep total synthesis, chemical modifications of compounds to prepare natural product libraries for SAR, and stereochemical studies involving extensive chemical transformations. I am familiar with the use of molecular modeling to design new targets and to confirm structures, and with the literature of combinatorial and solid phase synthesis.

Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, 1995

M.Sc. Organic Chemistry, SK University, Anantapur, India, 1988

B.Sc. Chemistry (major), Nagarjuna University, A.P., India, 1986

Isolated bioactive compounds from natural sources using a wide variety of chromatographic techniques as well as bioassay guided fractionation methods. Developed analytical methods for separation and purification of active molecules. Conducted structural elucidation by spectroscopy and chemical conversions. Determined stereochemistry by NOEDS, NOESY and ROESY experiments, computer modeling and synthetic methods. Performed analysis of amino acids by derivatization and chiral GC-MS.

Designed and executed multistep synthesis for lamellarin type alkaloids (14 steps). Characterized all intermediates. Synthesized libraries of natural products, lamellarins and alkylene bis (alkylxanthates) for SAR. Determined the absolute stereochemistry of anti-leishmanial polyketide cyclicperoxides in 4 steps. Confirmed the stereochemistry of the target molecules by chemical conversions using modern synthetic methods.

Chromatography: Experienced in Sep-Pak cartridges, flash chromatography, chromatotron, MPLC, analytical and preparative HPLC and TLC (using various column packing: silica, C8, C18, diol, cyano, amino etc.) and in CCC, GC, GC-MS, size exclusion chromatography (Sephadex LH-20 ).

Spectroscopy: Acquisition and analysis of 1D (¹H, ¹³C, DEPT, NOEDS), 2D (COSY, HMQC, HMBC, NOESY, ROESY, TOCSY) NMR and mass spectra (EI, ESI, CI, FAB, and GC-MS and LC-MS). Recording and interpretation of FT-IR, UV/VIS, CD and optical rotation spectra.

OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE: Computer software: MS word, ChemDraw, PowerPoint, Chem3D, PC Model (Serena Software); instrument maintenance; preparation of research reports and manuscripts for publication; supervision of graduate students.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA

3/96-present

Postgraduate Research Chemist (Dr. D. John Faulkner)

• Discovery of bioactive metabolites from marine organisms by various in vitro biological screenings.
• Isolation (using bioassay guided fractionation and chromatography) and structural elucidation (by instrumental and wet chemical methods) of novel bioactive compounds from marine sources.
• Absolute/relative stereochemistry of active novel compounds.
• Total synthesis of bioactive compounds and their analogs.

• Discovered and characterized about 25 new and many known secondary metabolites from various marine organisms.
• Lamellarin N and luffasterol A showed activity in NCI 60 cell-line panel and selected for pre-clinical studies. Synthesized the lamellarin N and their analogs for SAR.
• Discovered new series of lamellarins called lamallarin sulfates.
• Isolated cyclic peroxy acid which has antileishmanial activity; its absolute stereochemistry was determined using synthetic methods, NOEDS and molecular modeling.
• Isolated eurypamide A, a cyclic tripeptide with an unusual amino acid unit. The absolute stereochemistry was fixed by chemical conversions, extensive NOESY studies and chiral GC-MS analysis. The inseparable mixture of peptides, which are related to eurypamide A, were identified by MS/MS analysis.
• Discovered new inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase which is a target for AIDS therapeutics, and completed the total synthesis of active compounds.

Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India

9/91-3/96

Research Fellow-Associate

• Worked on the national project "Chemical investigations and bioevaluations of newer active molecules from marine organisms" sponsored by Dept. of Ocean Development, Govt. of India.

• Collected and extracted many marine organisms for biological screening.
• Isolated and identified 14 new and many known metabolites from various marine samples. Some are bioactive.
• The alkylxanthate isolated from an alga exhibited larvicidal activity on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The natural ethylene bis(isobutylxanthate) and its analogs were synthesized for SAR.
• Discovered pentacyclic guanidine alkaloid, neofolitispates which are active against Hepatitis-B.
• Discovered two novel diterpenes: furanocembrane diester, inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, and mandapamate which has an unusual carbon skeleton. The structures were determined by extensive 2D NMR techniques.

Reviewer to the Journal of Natural Products

American Chemical Society

American Society of Pharmacognosy

15. Ramesh, P.; Reddy, N.S.; Venkateswarlu, Y.; Reddy, M.V.R.; Faulkner, D.J. "Rameswaralide, a novel diterpenoid from the soft coral Sinularia dissecta" Tetrahedron Lett. 1998, 39, 8217-8220.

14. Reddy, M.V.R.; Harper, M.K.; Faulkner, D.J. "Eurypamide A, a cyclic tripeptide from the Palauan sponge Microciona eurypa" Tetrahedron 1998, 54, 10649-10656.

13. Compagnone, R.S.; Piña, I.C.; Rangel, H.R.; Dagger, F.; Suárez, A.I.; Reddy, M.V.R.; Faulkner, D.J. "Antileishmanial cyclic peroxides from the Palauan sponge Plakortis aff. angulospiculatus "Tetrahedron 1998, 54, 3057-3068.

12. Reddy, M.V.R.; Faulkner, D.J. "3b,3'b- Dimethylxestospongin C, a new bis-1- oxaquinolizidine alkaloid from the Palauan sponge Xestospongia sp." Nat. Prod. Lett. 1997, 11, 53-59.

11. Reddy, M.V.R.; Faulkner, D.J.; Venkateswarlu, Y.; Rao, M.R. "New lamellarin alkaloids from an unidentified ascidian from the Arabian Sea" Tetrahedron 1997, 53, 3457-3466.

10. Reddy, M.V.R.; Harper, M.K.; Faulkner, D.J. "Luffasterols A-C, 9,11-secosterols from the Palauan sponge Luffariella sp." J. Nat. Prod. 1997, 60, 41-43.

9. Venkateswarlu, Y.; Reddy, M.V.R.; Rao, M.R. "A new epoxysterol from the sponge Ircinia fasciculata" J. Nat. Prod. 1996, 59, 876-877.

8. Venkateswarlu, Y.; Reddy, M.V.R. "Three new heptaprenyl hydroquinone derivatives from the sponge Ircinia fasciculata" J. Nat. Prod., 1994, 57, 1286-1289.

7. Venkateswarlu, Y.; Reddy, M.V.R.; Rao, J.V. "Bis-1-oxaquinolizidines from the sponge Haliclona exigua" J. Nat. Prod. 1994, 57, 1283-1285.

6. Venkateswarlu, Y.; Biabani, M.A.F.; Reddy, M.V.R.; Chavakula, R.; Rao, J.V. "A new sesquiterpene from the Andaman sponge Dysidea herbacia" J. Nat. Prod. 1994, 57, 827-828.

5. Venkateswarlu, Y.; Biabani, M.A.F.; Reddy, M.V.R.; Rao, T.P.; Kunwar, A.C.; Faulkner, D.J. "Mandapamate, a diterpenoid from the soft coral Sinularia dissecta" Tetrahedron Lett. 1994,35, 2249-2252.

4. Reddy, M.V.R.; Venkateswarlu, Y.; Rao, J.V. "A new bishomoscalarane sesterterpene, 12-epi-phyllofolactone B from Phyllospongia foliascens" Ind. J. Chem. 1993, 32B, 1196-1197.

3. Venkateswarlu, Y.; Reddy, M.V.R.; Srinivas, K.V.N.S.; Rao, J.V. "A new isoquinolenequinone from a sponge petrosia sp. " Ind. J. Chem. 1993, 32B, 704.

2. Reddy, M.V.R.; Lakshman, S.; Rao, A.V.R.; Rao, J.V.; Venkateswarlu, Y. "A new diterpene from a soft coral Sinularia dissecta" J. Nat. Prod. 1993, 56, 970-972.

1. Venkateswarlu, Y.; Reddy, M.V.R.; Biabani, M.A.F.; Rao, J.V.; Kumar, K.R. "Ethylene bis(alkylxanthate) from a green alga Dictyosphaeria favulosa" Tetrahedron Lett. 1993, 34, 3633-3634.

2. Venkateswarlu, Y.; Reddy, M.V.R. "Guanidine alkaloids from the sponge Neofolitispa dianchora." National symposium on Natural Products at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India, November 4-6, 1995.

1. Venkateswarlu, Y.; Reddy, M.V.R.; Biabani, M.A.F. and Rao, J.V. "Ethylene bis (alkylxanthate) from a green alga dictyospharia favulosa" National symposium on Marine Natural Products at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India, March 26-28, 1993.

P.S. My name appears as M. Venkata Rami Reddy in my publications.

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