Total syntheses of (+)-pestaphthalide A and (-)-pestaphthalide B were achieved. Key steps are an iridium-mediated meta-selective arylborylation,  a stereodivergent epoxide opening and an anionic cyclic carbonate/γ-lactone rearrangement.

Ion-channel engineering (ICE) modifies biological ion channels by chemical/biological synthesis means. The goal is to obtain ion channels with modified or novel functionality. Applied functional strategies are the manipulation of the wider pores with robust β-barrel structures, the modification of narrow pores and channel gating by (photo)triggering the biological receptor that controls the channel. Synthetic strategies are the S-alkylation of specifically introduced Cys, protein semisynthesis by native chemical ligation, protein semisynthesis by protein trans-splicing, as well as nonsense-suppression methods.