Federal Grant Award Summary

Michigan State University received a $413,244 Project Grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), awarded August 1, 2026, with completion targeted for May 31, 2031. The research focuses on developing catalyst-controlled methylene insertion reactions to streamline pharmaceutical synthesis. Specifically, the project aims to design iron-based catalytic systems that selectively insert methylene (CH₂) groups into key molecular bonds—including C-N, C-O, N-H, and C-H bonds—commonly found in drug discovery. By advancing synthetic methodologies that enable efficient conversion of lead compounds into pharmaceutical analogs on the laboratory benchtop, the research addresses a critical bottleneck in drug development where subtle modifications in molecular structure significantly impact biological activity.

The secondary component of the project addresses C-H functionalization challenges in complex molecule synthesis, employing complementary advances in catalyst design, analytical methods, and computational modeling. Using C-H borylation as a model reaction platform, the research team is designing specialized ligands to enhance catalytic activity and establishing advanced analytical techniques—including supercritical fluid chromatography—to resolve isomeric mixtures and improve selectivity prediction in drug discovery applications. These advances are intended to reduce synthetic complexity and accelerate development cycles for high-priority pharmaceutical analogs.