Total synthesis of himastatin

The synthesis and study of antibiotic natural products with unique structures and mechanisms of action represents a proven strategy to combat the public health crisis posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The natural product himastatin is an antibiotic with an unusual homodimeric structure that presents a significant synthetic challenge. We report the concise total synthesis of himastatin by a newly developed final-stage dimerization strategy that was inspired by a detailed consideration of its biogenesis. Combining our bio-inspired dimerization approach with a modular synthesis enabled expedient access to a number of designed derivatives of himastatin, including synthetic probes that provide insight into its antibiotic activity.