New Book: Molecules That Changed The World

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Pain / Anesthetics;  Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 16 Mar 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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In many areas of the modern world, molecules play a pivotal role. Everyone needs Vitamin 12 for life, Taxol is used to combat cancer, and aspirin is one of the most versatile and commonly used drugs worldwide. MOLECULES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD (Wiley-Blackwell; March 2008; 385 Pages; Hardcover; 978-3-527-30983-2) is an entertaining and comprehensive guide to not only the synthesis of, but the story and the people behind, more than 30 unique substances. Written by best-selling author and world-renowned chemist K.C. Nicolaou and Tamsyn Montagnon, this book provides an in-depth guide to some of the most famous natural substances in medicinal history.

Dr. Nicolaou, author or co-author nearly 700 publications and 55 patents, brings his unique insight as an investigative scientist and medicinal chemist to each of these revolutionary substances, exploring their discovery, chemistry, and impact on both the modern world and medicine. From the life-saving Taxol (paclitaxel), a medication that slows the growth of cancer cells, to the life-taking Brevetoxin, an extremely potent neurotoxin, Drs. Nicolaou and Montagnon explain the impact of these substances on everyday life. Other substances covered include Camphor, Terpineol, tropinone, morphine, steroids, the Pill, penicillin, avermectin, and ancomycin.

Fully illustrated with rare photographs and images, MOLECULES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD is a scientific journey encapsulating the most important aspects of the history of chemical discovery over the last 50 years.

A sample chapter and table of contents is available at: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-3527309837.html

About the Authors

K.C. Nicolaou, Ph.D., is Chairman of the Department of Chemistry, Skaggs Professor of Chemical Biology, and Darlene Shiley Chair in Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute. He is also Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Nicolaou has been honored with more than 40 national and international awards, including the Aspirin Prize (Spain), the Schering Prize (Germany), the August-Wilhelm-von-Hofmann-Denkmünze Award (Germany), the Rhone-Polenc Medal (Royal Society of Chemistry, U.K.), the Nagoya Gold Medal (Japan), the Bodossaki Prize (Greece), and the Linus Pauling Medal (American Chemical Society, USA). He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Member of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), and has 12 honorary degrees from various universities around the world.

Dr. Tamsyn Montagnon, Ph.D., is a Marie Curie Fellow within the Department of Chemistry of the University of Crete in Greece. She was awarded the GlaxoWellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship and joined Dr. Nicolaou's group at The Scripps Research Institute from 2001-2003.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Source: Stacy Smith
Wiley-Blackwell