Yoshito Kishi

Yoshito Kishi ( born April 13, 1937 in Nagoya, Japan ) is a former Morris Loeb Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University. He is known for his work in the field of organic synthesis and total synthesis of natural products.

Kishi studied chemistry at Nagoya University, where he also received his BS and Ph.D. acquired, as well as an assistant professor held. This was followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University with Robert B. Woodward. In 1974 he became professor of chemistry at Harvard University; a position which he held until his retirement in 2009.

The research interests of Kishi, the synthesis of complex natural products. His research group, among other syntheses of palytoxin, Mycoactonen, Halichondrinen, saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin were developed. He received special attention for the synthesis of Palitoxin that applies with its 64 stereogenic centers as one of the greatest achievements in the chemical synthesis due to the complexity of the molecule. Kishi is also known for the development of new chemical reactions such as the Nozaki - Hiyama -Kishi reaction.