K. C. Nicolaou facts for kids

Quick facts for kids K. C. Nicolaou
Born	July 5, 1946 (1946-07-05) (age 78) Karavas, Cyprus
Alma mater	University College London
Known for	Total synthesis Nicolaou Taxol total synthesis Corey–Nicolaou macrolactonization
Awards	Ernest Guenther Award (1996) Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2016)
Scientific career
Fields	Chemistry
Institutions	Rice University Scripps Research Institute University of California, San Diego University of Pennsylvania ICES A*STAR
Doctoral students	Tushar Kanti Chakraborty
Other notable students	Phil Baran Govindasamy Mugesh

Kyriacos Costa Nicolaou (born July 5, 1946) is a famous chemist from Cyprus and America. He is known for his amazing work in making natural products in the lab. This process is called total synthesis. Natural products are special chemicals found in plants, animals, or tiny living things. They are often used to make medicines.

Professor Nicolaou is currently a chemistry professor at Rice University. Before this, he taught at other important places like The Scripps Research Institute and the University of Pennsylvania.

About K. C. Nicolaou

K. C. Nicolaou was born on July 5, 1946, in a place called Karavas in Cyprus. He grew up there and went to school until he was 18.

In 1964, he moved to England. He spent two years learning English and getting ready for university. He then studied chemistry at the University of London. He earned his first degree in 1969 and his Ph.D. (a very high degree) in 1972.

In 1972, he moved to the United States. He worked at Columbia University and Harvard University for a few years. After that, he joined the University of Pennsylvania as a chemistry professor.

His Work in San Diego and Singapore

In 1989, Professor Nicolaou moved to San Diego, California. There, he worked at two places at once: the University of California, San Diego and The Scripps Research Institute. He became a very important professor and even led the Chemistry Department at Scripps.

From 2005 to 2011, he also directed a special lab in Singapore. In 2013, he moved to Rice University, where he teaches today.

What His Research Group Does

Professor Nicolaou's team works in a field called organic chemistry. They focus on finding new ways to make complex molecules. Their main goal is to create many difficult molecules that are found in nature. This is what "total synthesis" means.

He is famous for making many complex natural molecules. Two well-known examples are Taxol and vancomycin.

• Taxol: This is a very important medicine used to fight cancer.
• Vancomycin: This is a powerful antibiotic used to treat serious infections.

In 1994, his team successfully made Taxol in the lab. This was a huge achievement because Taxol has a very complicated structure. It even made the news because of how hard it was to create!

Amazing Molecules He Has Made

Professor Nicolaou and his team have successfully created many complex natural molecules in the lab. This is a list of some of them:

Books He Has Written

Professor Nicolaou has also written or helped write several popular books about making molecules. These books are very helpful for other chemists.

• Classics in Total Synthesis I, 1996
• Classics in Total Synthesis II, 2003
• Classics in Total Synthesis III, 2011

He also wrote other books, including:

• Molecules That Changed the World, 2008
• Handbook of Combinatorial Chemistry: Drugs, Catalysts, Materials, 2002
• Selenium in Natural Products Synthesis, 1984

Awards and Honors

K. C. Nicolaou has received many important awards and honors for his work. These awards show how much his research has helped the world of chemistry.