John A. Porco, PhD
Professor
Boston University College of Arts and Sciences
Chemistry

PhD, Harvard University
DEng, College of the Holy Cross
MS, Yale University
BA, College of the Holy Cross



John Porco investigates chemical syntheses of complex molecules and synthesis of complex chemical libraries of novel structural types. John joined the Department of Chemistry at Boston University in 1999 after a successful career in industry and was rapidly promoted to Professor of Chemistry in September 2004.

Research in the Porco Group is focused in two major areas: the development of new synthetic methodologies for efficient chemical synthesis of complex molecules and synthesis of complex chemical libraries, the latter conducted at the Boston University Center for Molecular Discovery. Synthetic methodologies developed in the Porco Laboratory include copper (I)-mediated formation of enamides, oxa-electrocyclization/dimerization of dienals enroute to complex epoxyquinoids; enantioselective oxidative dearomatization using chiral copper complexes and molecular oxygen; photocycloaddition using oxidopyryliums enroute to the rocaglamides and related natural products, and catalytic ester-amide exchange using group (IV) metal alkoxide-activator complexes.

-Dearomatization Strategies in Complex Synthesis aim to utilize aromatic scaffolds as starting materials as precursors to complex natural products.

-Faculty Profile Scientific Image Porco 1Biomimetic Synthesis Approaches involve development of methodologies to test plausible biosyntheses of complex natural products and derivatives.

-New Reaction Discovery is done in conjunction with the BU-CMD and aims to discover transformations leading to novel chemotypes.

Techniques & Resources:

-Organic Synthesis techniques are used and include modern methods for synthesis, purification, and analysis of organic molecules
.
-Boston University Center for Molecular Discovery (BU-CMD) is an NIH-funded Center at Boston University which focuses on development of new methodologies for the synthesis of complex chemical libraries.

Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics


Member
Boston University
BU-BMC Cancer Center


Member
Boston University
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research




Chemical Synthesis of Complex Natural Products for Translational Science
05/01/2021 - 04/30/2026 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences
3R35GM118173-08S1

Translation Initiation as a Therapeutic Target in Neuroblastoma
12/15/2022 - 11/30/2024 (Subcontract PI)
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute NIH NCI
1R21CA267521-01A1

Thermal proteome profiling for off-target identification studies with imatinib and nilotinib
01/18/2023 - 01/17/2024 (PI)
Oregon Health & Science University


BU-CMD Chemical Library Consortium: Fostering Collaborations between Chemists and Biologists for Translational Discovery
01/01/2020 - 12/31/2023 (PI)
NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
5U01TR002625-04

Chemical Sythesis of Complex natural Products for Translational Science
05/01/2016 - 04/30/2022 (Multi-PI)
PI: John A. Porco, PhD
NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences
5R35GM118173-05

Synthesis of Cannabidiol (CBD)
08/05/2019 - 08/31/2021 (PI)
CBDQURE, Inc.


Ultra-High Precision Mass Spectrometer
07/01/2020 - 06/30/2021 (PI)
NIH/Office of the Director
1S10OD026807-01A1

HCV Entry: Mechanisms and Therapeutics
09/26/2016 - 05/31/2021 (Subcontract PI)
SRI International NIH NIDDK
5R01DK088787-07

Elucidating the Mechanism of B-Raf Dimerization Inhibition Using (+)-Griffipavixanthone Derivatives
12/01/2019 - 04/15/2021 (Key Person / Mentor)
NIH/National Cancer Institute
5F31CA239485-02

High-Throughput Chemistry Platform (HTCP) for Reaction Screening
01/01/2018 - 03/31/2019 (Co-Investigator)
PI: Aaron Beeler, PhD
Department of Defense/DARPA


Showing 10 of 21 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2023 BU-CMD Chemical Library Consortium: Fostering Collaborations between Chemists and Biologists for Translational Discovery 5U01TR002625-04
2023 Acquisition of a CombiFlash EZ Prep Chromatography System with Integrated ELSD for Chemical Synthesis 3R35GM118173-08S1
2023 Chemical Synthesis of Complex Natural Products for Translational Science 5R35GM118173-08
2022 BU-CMD Chemical Library Consortium: Fostering Collaborations between Chemists and Biologists for Translational Discovery 5U01TR002625-03
2022 Chemical Synthesis of Complex Natural Products for Translational Science 5R35GM118173-07
2021 BU-CMD Chemical Library Consortium: Fostering Collaborations between Chemists and Biologists for Translational Discovery 5U01TR002625-02
2021 Chemical Synthesis of Complex Natural Products for Translational Science 2R35GM118173-06 26
2020 BU-CMD Chemical Library Consortium: Fostering Collaborations between Chemists and Biologists for Translational Discovery 1U01TR002625-01A1
2020 Chemical Synthesis of Complex Natural Products for Translational Science 5R35GM118173-05 26
2019 Acquisition of a helium recovery system for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass (ICR-MS) Spectrometers 3R35GM118173-04S1 26
Showing 10 of 84 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Fallah S, Duncan D, Reichl KD, Smith MJ, Wang W, Porco JA, Brown LE, Whitesell L, Robbins N, Cowen LE. A chemical screen identifies structurally diverse metal chelators with activity against the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Microbiol Spectr. 2024 Apr 02; 12(4):e0409523.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38376363
     
  2. Ji K, Johnson RP, McNeely J, Al Faruk M, Porco JA. Asymmetric Synthesis of Nidulalin A and Nidulaxanthone A: Selective Carbonyl Desaturation Using an Oxoammonium Salt. J Am Chem Soc. 2024 Feb 21; 146(7):4892-4902. PMID: 38319883; PMCID: PMC10922861; DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c13864;
     
  3. Millimaci AM, Trilles RV, McNeely JH, Brown LE, Beeler AB, Porco JA. Synthesis of Neocannabinoids Using Controlled Friedel-Crafts Reactions. J Org Chem. 2023 Sep 15; 88(18):13135-13141.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37657122; PMCID: PMC10696561; DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.3c01362;
     
  4. Naineni SK, Cencic R, Robert F, Brown LE, Haque M, Scott-Talib J, Sénéchal P, Schmeing TM, Porco JA, Pelletier J. Exploring the targeting spectrum of rocaglates among eIF4A homologs. RNA. 2023 Jun; 29(6):826-835.View Related Profiles. PMID: 36882295; PMCID: PMC10187672; DOI: 10.1261/rna.079318.122;
     
  5. Shaashua L, Ben-Shmuel A, Pevsner-Fischer M, Friedman G, Levi-Galibov O, Nandakumar S, Barki D, Nevo R, Brown LE, Zhang W, Stein Y, Lior C, Kim HS, Bojmar L, Jarnagin WR, Lecomte N, Mayer S, Stok R, Bishara H, Hamodi R, Levy-Lahad E, Golan T, Porco JA, Iacobuzio-Donahue CA, Schultz N, Tuveson DA, Lyden D, Kelsen D, Scherz-Shouval R. BRCA mutational status shapes the stromal microenvironment of pancreatic cancer linking clusterin expression in cancer associated fibroblasts with HSF1 signaling. Nat Commun. 2022 Oct 31; 13(1):6513.View Related Profiles. PMID: 36316305; PMCID: PMC9622893; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34081-3;
     
  6. Lehman SL, Wechsler T, Schwartz K, Brown LE, Porco JA, Devine WG, Pelletier J, Shankavaram UT, Camphausen K, Tofilon PJ. Inhibition of the Translation Initiation Factor eIF4A Enhances Tumor Cell Radiosensitivity. Mol Cancer Ther. 2022 Sep 06; 21(9):1406-1414.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35732578; PMCID: PMC9452469; DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-22-0037;
     
  7. Yang F, Porco JA. Unified, Asymmetric Total Synthesis of the Asnovolins and Related Spiromeroterpenoids: A Fragment Coupling Approach. J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Jul 20; 144(28):12970-12978. PMID: 35792599; PMCID: PMC9667390; DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c05366;
     
  8. Praditya DF, Klöhn M, Brüggemann Y, Brown LE, Porco JA, Zhang W, Kinast V, Kirschning A, Vondran FWR, Todt D, Steinmann E. Identification of structurally re-engineered rocaglates as inhibitors against hepatitis E virus replication. Antiviral Res. 2022 Aug; 204:105359.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35728703; PMCID: PMC9731315; DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105359;
     
  9. Xu W, Brown LE, Porco JA. Divergent, C-C Bond Forming Macrocyclizations Using Modular Sulfonylhydrazone and Derived Substrates. J Org Chem. 2021 12 03; 86(23):16485-16510.View Related Profiles. PMID: 34730970; PMCID: PMC8783553; DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c01848;
     
  10. Shen L, Pugsley L, Cencic R, Wang H, Robert F, Naineni SK, Sahni A, Morin G, Zhang W, Nijnik A, Porco JA, Langlais D, Huang S, Pelletier J. A forward genetic screen identifies modifiers of rocaglate responsiveness. Sci Rep. 2021 09 16; 11(1):18516. PMID: 34531456; PMCID: PMC8445955; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97765-8;
     
Showing 10 of 211 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 211 publications over 28 distinct years, with a maximum of 19 publications in 2011

YearPublications
19881
19971
19992
20004
20013
20025
20037
20046
200512
200611
200715
20085
20097
201011
201119
201214
20138
201413
20156
20169
20174
20189
201917
20208
20216
20224
20232
20242

Contact for Mentoring:

590 Commonwealth Ave
Boston MA 02215
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(617) 353-6466 (fax)

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