Dr Jonathan Sperry

PhD/BSc(Hons) (Exon.)

Associate Professor

In: Chemical Sciences » Faculty of Science

Biography

Feb 2017-present. Associate Professor in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Auckland.
Feb 2014- 2019. RSNZ Rutherford Discovery Fellow
Feb 2012- Feb 2017. Senior Lecturer in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Auckland.
Nov 2009- Feb 2012. Lecturer in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Auckland
Mar 2006- Nov 2009. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Auckland, New Zealand, (RSNZ Marsden Fund, D.Prof. M. A. Brimble FRS)
Oct 2002- Feb 2006. Ph.D Synthetic Organic Chemistry, University of Exeter, UK. Biomimetic Oxidations in Natural Product Synthesis (Prof. C. J. Moody)
1999-2002. BSc (Hons) Biological and Medicinal Chemistry, 1st class. University of Exeter, UK. Final year project: A Diels Alder approach to Vitamin B6 analogues

Research | Current

****Ph.D SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR 2020**** Contact Jon for more details

BSc(Hons) / MSc

Several Honours and MSc projects are available for students starting in semesters 1 and 2. Please contact Jon for further information

Ph.D studies

A number of funding sources are available to support students into their PhD studies. The application processes are conducted through the University of Auckland, however please get in contact with Jon first to discuss the application. If you are an Australian or New Zealand student with a first class honours degree then you should be eligible for a scholarship.

If you are from outside Australasia, possess a stellar academic record and good English skills (IELTS, TOEFL scores), I will endeavour to organise a scholarship for you.

If your country has a scholarship program then please contact Jon to see if we are able to support an application.

Internships

We regularly host interns from all over the world. If you are interested spending some time in the Sperry lab, please contact Jon

Our Research interests can be split into three main areas:

- Organic Synthesis -

C-H functionalization

Study of natural product synthesis as a platform for methods development.

Particular emphasis is placed on compounds that possess unprecedented architecture, biomimetic synthesis and novel reaction development.

- Medicinal chemistry -

We have a strong interest in developing therapeutics for areas of unmet need, for example;

The synthesis and biophysical analysis of isocitrate lyase (ICL) inhibitors for the treatment of latent tuberculosis - in collaboration with Dr Ivan Leung and Dr Ghader Bashiri (University of Auckland)

Natural products (and their analogues) for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, OCD, anxiety, etc.

Novel therapeutics targeting the PSA-NCAM complex - in collaboration with A/P Maurice Curtis (Centre for Brain Research). This work is focused on discovering fundamentally new strategies to treat brain cancers, glioma, glioblastoma etc.

We alo have a very active interest in subjecting alkaloids to phenotypic screening in various disease models

- Sustainable Synthesis / Green Chemistry -

Biorenewable platform chemicals in the synthesis of fine and commodity chemicals, in collaboration with A/P Shinji Kudo (Kyushu University, Japan), A/P Ning Yan (National University of Singapore) and Prof. Xianhei Zeng (Xiamen University)

Electrochemical synthesis

Mechanochemical synthesis

Mechanochemical degradation of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and pharmaceutical waste

Valorization of lignin to access valuable alkanes for use as bio-based solvents, transportation fuels etc

Green solvents and reagents.

Teaching | Current

CHEM 253
CHEM 260
CHEM 330
CHEM 360
CHEM 730
CHEM 735
CHEM 750
CHEM 760

Postgraduate supervision

Postdoctoral

Dr Ashley Lindsay

Ph.D

Ryan Dixon (2016)

Ardalan Nabi (2016)

Kirsty Anderson (2017)

Jessica Liyu (2017)

Maurycy Prystupa (2017)

Shi-Wei Kim (2017)

Rory Devlin (2018)

Kapish Gobindlal (2018)

Stephanie Lee (2019)

Simon Lin (2020)

Karen Ichikawa (2020)

Yichen Qiu (2020)

BSc (Hons)

Alicia Baxter

Michelle Lau

Jessica Neville

Distinctions/Honours

RSNZ Rutherford Discovery Fellowship 2014-2019

Thieme Chemistry Journal Award 2014

Deans Commendation 2002

Henry Normon Rydon Award 2001

Deans Commendation 2000

Responsibilities

Associate Professor in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry

Royal Society of New Zealand Rutherford Discovery Fellow

Areas of expertise

Organic and Sustainable Synthesis

Medicinal Chemistry

Heterocyclic Chemistry

Natural Products

Green Chemistry

Committees/Professional groups/Services

Founding member of the Centre for Green Chemical Science (CGCS)

2016-2018 Chair: Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC)

School of Chemical Sciences Research Committee

School of Chemical Sciences Wellbeing Officer

Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)

Bolan, N., Sarkar, B., Yan, Y., Li, Q., Wijesekara, H., Kannan, K., ... Noll, H. (2021). Remediation of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminated soils – To mobilize or to immobilize or to degrade?. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 401.10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123892
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Melanie Kah
Chitara, M. K., Keswani, C., Varnava, K. G., Birla, H., Dilnashin, H., Singh, S. P., ... Singh, H. B. (2020). Impact of the alkaloid colletotrichumine A on the pathogenicity of Colletotrichum capsici in Capsicum annum L. Rhizosphere, 16.10.1016/j.rhisph.2020.100247
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Kyriakos Varnava
Feng, Y., Long, S., Yan, G., Chen, B., Sperry, J., Xu, W., ... Lin, L. (2020). Manganese catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of biomass-derived aldehydes: Insights to the catalytic performance and mechanism. JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS, 389, 157-165. 10.1016/j.jcat.2020.05.037
Devlin, R., & Sperry, J. (2020). The curious yellow colouring matter of the Iceland poppy. Organic & biomolecular chemistry, 18 (28), 5278-5286. 10.1039/d0ob01162b
Anstis, D. G., Lindsay, A. C., Söhnel T, & Sperry, J. (2020). Synthesis of the 1,2,4-Thiadiazole Alkaloid Polyaurine B. Journal of natural products, 83 (5), 1721-1724. 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c00166
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Ashley Lindsay, Tilo Söhnel
Kim, S. H., Söhnel T, & Sperry, J. (2020). Structural Revision of Pseudocerosine and Validation of a Biosynthetic Proposal for E-ring Formation in Pyridoacridine Alkaloids. Organic letters, 22 (9), 3495-3498. 10.1021/acs.orglett.0c00953
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Tilo Söhnel
Thuy, T. P., Chen, X., Soehnel, T., Yan, N., & Sperry, J. (2020). Haber-independent, diversity-oriented synthesis of nitrogen compounds from biorenewable chitin. GREEN CHEMISTRY, 22 (6), 1978-1984. 10.1039/d0gc00208a
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Tilo Söhnel
Anderson, K., Eastabrook, A. S., & Sperry, J. (2020). One-pot oxidative hydrolysis-oxidative cleavage of 7-borylindoles enables access to o-amidophenols and 4-acylbenzoxazoles. Chemical communications (Cambridge, England), 56 (24), 3559-3562. 10.1039/c9cc09807k