Biogenetically inspired syntheses of alkaloid natural products

Since the synthesis of tropinone in the early 20th century, generations of chemists have looked to nature for inspiration in developing elegant syntheses of natural products. Analyzing molecules in their native context greatly enriches the chemist's understanding of nature's solution to the rapid generation of molecular complexity. In this tutorial review, we examine select examples from the alkaloid literature to highlight ways in which the close interplay of chemistry and biology have resulted in the development of elaborate biosynthetic hypotheses as well as strikingly beautiful syntheses. In addition, we present a case study on this topic through the lens of our total synthesis of (+)-11,11'-dideoxyverticillin A.