The practical and efficient synthesis of biologically active molecules continues to be a central challenge in modern organic chemistry. Natural products, especially those derived from marine sources, have historically provided potent pharmacologically active compounds used in the treatment of various diseases. These marine natural products are structurally diverse and complex, and display a broad range of biological properties such as antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Despite their promise, the direct use of these natural compounds is hindered by several issues. Their extraction and purification from marine organisms are not only time-consuming and technically demanding, but also yields very small quantities. This restricts their full pharmacological evaluation, structural modifications, and further drug development. Additionally, their structural complexity makes chemical derivatization difficult, limiting access to analogs that are vital for structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies and drug optimization.

To overcome these limitations, our research is focused on the total synthesis of biologically active marine and natural products in scalable quantities. This allows for the detailed investigation of their biological roles and the possibility of tailoring their properties through structural modifications. A key aspect of our work involves the incorporation of fluorine into these molecular frameworks. Fluorine is known to enhance bioavailability, metabolic stability, and target binding in many pharmaceutical agents, making fluorinated analogues attractive candidates for drug development.

Our approach combines molecular modelling, rational drug design, and mechanism-guided synthetic strategies to develop novel fluorinated heterocycles inspired by marine natural products. The design rationale, synthetic methodologies, and biological relevance of these compounds will be discussed, highlighting their potential as new therapeutic leads.

Dr. Sunita Bhagat is Professor, Department of Chemistry, ARSD College, University of Delhi. She has teaching and research experience of about thirty years and has published  55 research papers in various internationaland national journals of repute, authored three books, three book chapters and filed two patents to her credit. She has delivered talks and made presentations in more than forty international and national conferences/workshops. Currently she is Fellow, Delhi School of Public Health, Institute of Eminence, University of Delhi. She is recipient of many prestigious awards viz. Excellence Awards for Teachers  March 2023, University of Delhi, INSA Teacher Award 2017, Chemistry Teacher Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research in 2014  by Coastal Chemical Research Society, Andhra University, Best Chemistry Teacher Award  (Undergraduate category) in 2013 by Tata Chemicals, CII, Royal Society of Chemistry. She is carrying out research work actively in the area of  Natural Product Synthesis, Fluorine Chemistry, Development of Fluorinating Reagents for Synthesis of Fluorinated Heterocycles of Biological Importance,  Fluorination Strategies, Green Chemistry etc. She has been awarded many research projects from DST, SERB, ICMR ,UGC and has supervised eleven   Ph.D. students. She reviewer of a number of esteemed journals and member of many professional bodies viz. ACS, OWSD, RSC LONDON, Life Member of CRSI, ISCB, ISCA and IACT.