SE4:E4 - MedChem Masters: Molecules, Mentors and Mindsets

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1. 

   S5 · E1 · 18 May 2026 · 41 min

   SE5:E1 - A Journey of Synthetic Chemistry Innovations at Merck

   To kick off Season 5, Dani and LC discuss a recent perspective published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry that highlights innovations in synthetic chemistry which trace their origins to the work of discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics. This publication was the most accessed paper published in JOC in 2025! Dani and LC explore the motivations on writing it, its main thesis and lesson learned from reexamining nearly 75 years of chemistry innovations at Merck. Be sure to listen through to the very end for a special Season 5 theme reveal! Read and listen to some of…

2. 

   23 Mar 2026 · 31 min

   SE4:E8: From Discovery to Process, Part 2: Getting Ugi with it - scaling a 3CL protease inhibitor

   In Part 2 of our Pharm to Table deep dive on MK‑7845, Dani and LC shift from invention to implementation, welcoming process chemists Nastaran Salehi Marzijarani and Ben Turnbull to the pod. We explore how the team re‑imagined the synthesis to enable robust, scalable supply—and why a classic multicomponent reaction you probably remember from school, the Joullié–Ugi reaction , ended up stealing the show. Along the way, we unpack route selection trade‑offs, lifecycle thinking in process chemistry, and what it really takes to bring an antiviral to life at scale. Read and listen to some of the…

3. 

   S4 · E11 · 2 Feb 2026 · 29 min

   SE4:E7: From Discovery to Process, Part 1: Building a 3CL Protease Inhibitor Through Smart Fluorine Placement and Design Intuition

   In this first installment of our two‑part Pharm to Table special on MK‑7845, Dani and LC sit down with medicinal chemist Valerie Shurtleff to unpack the discovery journey behind this 3CL protease inhibitor—from early structural insights to an unexpectedly effective difluorobutyl isostere. Val walks us through how the team balanced potency, VLE, metabolic challenges, and design intuition to land on a well‑rounded preclinical candidate - one of the most dynamic programs of her career. Along the way, she reminds us why asking good questions, collaborating relentlessly, and occasionally…

4. 

   10 Nov 2025 · 31 min

   SE4:E6 - Mechanism-Driven Innovation in Process Research: Yining Ji Chen’s Road as a Rising Star

   Join us for a conversation with Yining Ji Chen, recipient of the 2025 ACS Rising Star Award, on how mechanistic insight powers innovation in pharmaceutical process research. We dive into her career journey and standout projects—from Pd-catalyzed C–N coupling for HCV therapy to dynamic phosphorylation in nucleotide synthesis—plus her creation of LED‑NMR for real-time photochemical reaction monitoring. Hear how deep mechanistic understanding drives robustness and safety, why she moved to the Data‑Rich Measurements group, and which emerging analytical technologies excite her most. A celebration…

5. 

   S4 · E5 · 13 Oct 2025 · 37 min

   SE4:E5 - Evolution of a Green Chemistry Trailblazer

   In this episode, Dani and LC welcome Jeff Moore, recipient of the 2025 ACS Affordable Green Chemistry Award, to discuss his pioneering work in biocatalysis at Merck. The conversation explores the evolution (pun intended) of biocatalytic processes in pharmaceutical manufacturing, highlighting key milestones such as the adoption of transaminases and imine reductases, and their impact on drug synthesis and sustainability. Jeff shares stories from his career, including how being 'lazy' when doing science can lead to major innovations and the practical benefits of enzyme-driven chemistry. He even…

6. 

   S4 · E3 · 19 May 2025 · 34 min

   S4:E3 - London Calling ... Spirocycles

   This month we sit down with Damien Valette, Olivia Boyd and David Petrone to chat about their latest paper in Organic Letters on the desymmetrization of prochiral dienones to control all-carbon quaternary centers. This reaction leverages biocatalysis, specifically an ene-reductase [ERED] enzymes (which are making their second appearance on the pod - see S1:E5 ). David, Damien and Olivia walk us through the discovery of the reaction and why it's uniquely suited to set these challenging stereocenters. This work was done in the context of work at the med-chem/process interface which we explore…

7. 

   21 Apr 2025 · 27 min

   S4:E2 - Making Sulfur Smell like Success!

   Join us on the Pharm to Table podcast for a delightful chat with Ethan Wappes from our South San Francisco site, as we dive into the exciting world of thiophene synthesis! Ethan is a member of our Discovery Process Chemistry group and worked alongside medicinal chemists to devise a better synthetic route towards substituted thiophenes. Ethan shares insights from his recent Org. Lett. on a novel Rh-catalyzed [3+2] method that opens the door to highly substituted dihydrothiophenes, enhancing our medicinal chemistry toolkit. We explore how this strategy not only simplifies complex thiophene…

8. 

   27 Jan 2025 · 29 min

   S4:E1 Chemistry Unplugged: Listener Q&A and Future Insights

   We're kicking off Season 4 (holy cow!) by having a lively discussion answering listener questions on everything from our favorite Boc deprotection methods to the role of AI in the world of chemistry. We also share how flow chemistry is being used in discovery and process chemistry and conclude with what we feel would be disruptive chemistry innovations that could shape 2025. Plus, find out how you can influence the conversation by sharing what you want to hear more of in 2025!

9. 

   S3 · E12 · 18 Nov 2024 · 36 min

   S3:E10 - Look what ADCs made us do

   Antibody drug conjugates, or ADCs, are all the rage in the industry right now and chemists play an important role in their development. This month we sat down with Serge Ruccolo and Marion Emmert to talk about their papers in this area. Their work addresses two main challenges of ADC development: 1) potent handling of cytotoxic payloads and 2) selective unmasking of cysteine residues to enable conjugation to the antibody. Tune in to hear how one develops these chemistries; How electrochemistry and microfluidics can be useful tools for the chemistry of these important molecules. You'll learn…

10. 

    17 Oct 2024 · 33 min

    S3:E9 - Surfing peptide production by going with the flow

    Ready to go with the flow? Then this episode is for you! In this episode, we dive into the exciting world of Continuous-Flow Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis (CF-SPPS) with special guests Kyle Ruhl and Mike DiMaso. We kick off the episode with a brief overview on various techniques used to synthesize peptides and how each method fits within the drug discovery/development timeline. From there, we serve up their recent paper on leveraging flow to synthesize peptides - exploring the challenges they faced, such as accommodating resin swelling and optimizing synthesis times. We do our best to shield…