Chemists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new and easier way to build larger molecules by adding one carbon atom at a time—like clicking a Lego block into place.
This new method could make it much faster to design new medicines, agricultural products, and materials.
The study, published in Nature, introduces a one-step process for attaching a single carbon atom to molecules called alkenes.
Alkenes are common chemical building blocks found in many useful substances, including medications like quinine (used to treat malaria), farming chemicals, and even fragrances.
Until now, adding a single carbon atom to these molecules was a complicated task that required several steps.
But the Cambridge team, led by Dr. Marcus Grocott and Professor Matthew Gaunt, found a way to do it in one smooth process.
Their approach uses a special “carbon transfer” tool that attaches itself to the molecule, triggers a reaction, and leaves behind one new carbon atom in exactly the right spot.
Dr. Grocott explained that this new method is like solving an old puzzle with a fresh idea. “Alkenes are everywhere in chemistry, but no one had found a simple, reliable way to add just one carbon atom to them—until now.”
The team’s clever chemical tool is called an “allyl sulfone transfer reagent.” Each part of the tool plays a role: one part sticks to the molecule, another makes the reaction happen at the right time, and a third helps everything stay stable during the process.
When it’s done, the target molecule is one carbon atom longer and ready to be used in new ways.
To show how powerful their method is, the researchers tested it on a well-known drug called cyclosporine A. This drug calms the immune system by sticking to a specific protein in the body. The team made new versions of cyclosporine A by adding one or two carbon atoms.
Some of these new versions still attached to the protein and affected the immune system, while others didn’t. This shows that even small changes to a molecule’s shape can lead to big changes in how it works—and offers a way to fine-tune a drug’s effect.
Professor Gaunt emphasized that the discovery is about more than just making molecules longer. It gives chemists a new way to explore “chemical space”—the huge number of possible shapes and structures that molecules can have. That can lead to entirely new types of medicines and products.
This breakthrough is expected to help scientists not only in the pharmaceutical industry but also in areas like farming and materials science, where tiny tweaks in molecule design can lead to major improvements in how things work.
