This thesis addresses fundamental scientific questions such as:How are complex natural products
synthesized in vivo?Can we replicate these conditions in a laboratory environment?What is the
biological function of such secondary metabolites?What are the biological origins of
chirality?These issues are explored in an accessible manner using a multidisciplinary approach
spanning chemistry biology and physics to investigate an interesting family of complex natural
products isolated from marine molluscs - the tridachiahydropyrones.The work has
achieved:Elegant biomimetic syntheses of a number of the tridachiahydropyrone compounds in
vitro using organic synthesis techniquesThe characterization of the interactions between these
compounds and a range of model membrane systems using a series of fluorescence spectroscopic
studiesThe investigation of the antioxidant and photoprotective properties of the compounds by
means of biophysical assay techniquesThe synthesis of tridachiahydropyrone utilizing the model
membrane systems as biomimetic reaction media.
