What applications and developments do you foresee for olefin metathesis?
I'm particularly happy about a drug that is currently in phase III testing called vaniprevir (from Merck), which is targeted against the hepatitis C virus. Our olefin metathesis catalyst is really important for the formation of this drug. Another application that I am excited about, and that I spoke about at the Lindau meeting, is the use of metathesis in pheromone synthesis. This might allow toxic and unselective pesticides to be replaced by naturally occurring pheromones that can, for example, disrupt mating patterns in selected insects. My intuition tells me that this is going to be big — but most of it is out of my hands.
Olefin metathesis is an important part of undergraduate chemistry. Do you enjoy lecturing on a topic in which your contribution has been so important?
It's fun to talk about because you can provide a lot of background. I'm not sure the students appreciate it, but that's okay. They don't seem overwhelmed at being taught by a Nobel laureate. At Caltech we have five Nobel laureates on campus — three in chemistry — so it's not a big deal for them.
Is academic science research becoming dependent on industry funding?
Yes, but industry is having similar financial problems to academia and has also cut back on its funding of basic research. Big companies used to help the transition from research in the laboratory to commercialization. When I started doing the early metathesis work, people from big companies would show up and want to test the catalysts. Now, most of the commercialization is done by small companies who are bridging the gap between the laboratory and industry.
What advice do you have for young researchers who wish to pursue a career in academia?
It is a great career if you can get in, but it is tough right now because of funding cuts. It will require particularly dedicated young researchers. Ten years ago, when a researcher entered academia there were good start-up packages, with lots of graduate students and funding. We will probably have to reduce some of that support and make tenure decisions earlier. The day of the really big research group is over. I must admit that I am sort of glad I'm old!
Feed: Nature - Issue - nature.com science feeds
Posted on: Wednesday, 16 October 2013 11:00 AM
Author: Robert Grubbs
Subject: Q&A: The bond shifter
Q&A: The bond shifter
Nature. doi:10.1038/502S56a<http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/502S56a>
Author: Robert Grubbs
Rebecca Melen talks to the joint winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry about how his research is being applied to many different processes.
View article...<http://feeds.nature.com/~r/nature/rss/current/~3/8rXS2Gv5B_M/502S56a>
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