Organic and Medicinal Chemistry Group (Prof Bruno Linclau)

Our research includes:

• The synthesis of proline (an amino acid) analogues with fluorination motifs designed to control peptide conformation, as well as the subsequent synthesis of the required small peptides;
• The synthesis of carbohydrate derivatives with fluorination motifs designed to investigate sugar lipophilicity and sugar hydrogen bond properties;
• The synthesis of druglike molecules containing fluorination motifs to investigate lipophilicity properties. 

We collaborate with a number of groups for (IR-based) hydrogen bond measurements, and for bioactivity measurements.

Publications

PhD/postdoc opportunities

There are no current openings, but if you have an interest in the type of chemistry we do, and a strong motivation to pursue a PhD or postdoc, you are welcome to get in touch.

Funding can become available at any time, or deadlines to apply for funding occur throughout the year. (eg for PhD’s, February-March, and for postdocs, December).

Master/ERASMUS projects

Master projects

UGent Master students in Chemistry or Pharmacy with an interest in synthetic organic chemistry are welcome to contact me to discuss a possible Master project. There are a wide range of projects available, which typically boil down to the design of a set of compounds to investigate a certain property, then making these compounds and investigating them. The properties of interest are typically applicable in medicinal chemistry. This can involve careful NMR analysis is required to deduce molecular conformation.

ERASMUS projects

Every year, we also accept a number of ERASMUS students in the group. Depending on the time spent in Ghent and the level of your expertise, you’ll get a project that is typically primarily aimed at a synthetic organic chemistry learning experience, hence this should be your prime expectation and interest.

We expect that you have organised your ERASMUS stipend to cover your expenses etc. The UGent will provide support regarding finding accommodation. We will cover the actual cost of the chemicals you will use and analyses you will carry out. It is important that you follow the safety guidance in the laboratories.

When applying for a place, please include a statement about your organic chemistry experience, as well as the name and contact details of 1-2 referees, who should be willing and able to give me an assessment of your organic chemistry skills.

About Linclau Group

Bruno Linclau graduated from the University of Ghent, Belgium in 1992. He joined the group of Professor M Vandewalle for his PhD (1992 - 1996 funded by the Belgian "National Fund of Scientific Research"), where he completed the total synthesis of several Vitamin D analogues.

This was followed by a postdoctoral stay with Professor D P Curran in Pittsburgh PA (USA) (1997 – 1999) with a fellowship from the "Belgian American Educational Foundation" and from the University of Pittsburgh. There he worked on fluorous chemistry applications in combinatorial chemistry.

He joined the Chemistry at Southampton University as a lecturer in August 1999, followed by a promotion to Senior Lecturer in 2005, to Reader in 2013, and to Professor in 2015.

After becoming Head of the Organic Chemistry Section in 2012, he became Director of Research (Deputy Head of School) in 2018. In October 2021, he moved to Ghent University as an Odysseus research professor, with a Senior Full Professor appointment.

He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and a regular member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), and of the Society of Chemistry and Industry (SCI). After serving as secretary of the RSC Fluorine Subject Group Committee, he became Chair of this Committee in January 2022.

Contact

Prof Dr. Bruno Linclau

bruno.linclau@ugent.be

Organic and Medicinal Chemistry
Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry
Ghent University
Krijgslaan 281, S4
B-9000 Ghent
Belgium