University of Melbourne Events Calendar

Professor MacMillan is a Nobel Prize-winning chemist internationally recognised for transforming the field of organic synthesis. His work has reshaped how chemists design and build molecules, with profound impact across pharmaceuticals, materials science and chemical manufacturing. Professor MacMillan is visiting the University of Melbourne from Princeton University.

About the lecture

The Development of Photocatalytic Reactions of Value to Chemists and Biologists
This lecture will discuss the application of visible light photocatalysis to the discovery or invention of transformations that will be conceptually or synthetically valuable (and sometimes, hopefully, both). We will describe why a healthy balance of reaction discovery and mechanistic understanding has been important to the development of a field of research that is now being widely adopted in medicinal chemistry settings. In particular, we will discuss the application of photocatalysis to the development of new metallaphotoredox coupling reactions involving SH2 mechanisms, a development that we hope will have an impact on the discovery of new biologically relevant molecules. Finally, we will examine an exciting recent application of photoredox catalysis in my group; namely, the high-resolution µ-map technology, which provides a powerful means to probe biological pathways at the subcellular level.

This event will be held online and in person.

Join us at this Melbourne launch of Minister Andrew Leigh’s latest book: The Shortest History of Innovation.

From the wheel to gene editing, new ideas shape our world.

In this dazzling, surprising and always entertaining book, bestselling author Andrew Leigh tells the story of innovation.

Innovation shapes almost every corner of our lives, yet we rarely pause to notice it. Someone had to invent nails and wheelbarrows; alphabets and books; glass windows and windscreen wipers; tin cans and synthetic dyes. From tools and technologies to fresh approaches in art and architecture, innovation surrounds us.

Leigh shows that three forces drive innovation: tinkering, teams and trade. He examines hotbeds of creativity, the forces that suppress them, and the surprising ways ideas travel across borders and disciplines. The result is a lively, compact look at the engines powering progress.

A brilliant follow-up to the international bestseller The Shortest History of Economics.