Position Title
Professor of Chemistry
Position Title
Professor of Chemistry
Bio
Research in the Franz group combines organic synthesis, catalyst development, and chemical biology with applications for the synthesis of bioactive products, biofuels and materials. Our primary focus is to develop new reactions and catalysts for the efficient and enantioselective synthesis of bioactive and therapeutically-relevant molecules. An integral part of our research is to investigate the mechanism and molecular interactions that dictate the reactivity and selectivity of these synthetic transformations. In addition to developing new transformations for the synthesis of complex small molecules, we are interested in using chemical triggers to enhance the production of bioactive lipids and biofuels from microalgae.