David A. Lightner
R. C. Fuson Professor
Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry
A.B. (1960), University of California at Berkeley; Ph.D. (1963), Stanford University (Carl Djerassi); NSF Postdoctoral Fellow (1963-64), Stanford University (Carl Djerassi) and (1964-65), University of Minnesota (Albert Moscowitz).
E-mail: lightner![[at]](../images/at.png)
unr.nevada.edu
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David A. Lightner
Research Interests
Current research is directed toward synthesis, stereochemistry, molecular recognition and photochemistry, with an emphasis on (i) dipyrrole and tetrapyrrole synthetic analogs of bilirubin, the yellow pigment of jaundice; (ii) organic conformational analysis from circular dichroism and NMR spectroscopy; (iii) photobiology, molecular mechanisms of phototherapy for neonatal jaundice, bilirubin metabolism, pyrrole chemistry and photochemistry, photooxidation and singlet oxygen; (iv) chiral molecular recognition; (v) chiroptical properties and electronic interaction of non-adjacent chromophores, long-range interactions; (vi) exciton interactions in organic and biological systems as detected by circular dichroism; and (vii) stereochemistry of cyclic ketones and the Octant Rule.
Post-doctoral inquiries only, please. Dr. Lightner is no longer accepting new graduate students into his group.
Selected Publications
“Toward an amphiphilic bilirubin. The X-ray crystal structure of a bilirubin E-isomer,” Dey, S.K.; Lightner, D.A. J. Org. Chem. 2008, 73, 2704-2714.
“Photooxidation of bilirubin to biliverdin and bilirubin structure,” McDonagh, A.F.; Lightner, D.A. J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85, 199-201.
“Slipping past UGT1A1 and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 in the liver. Effects of steric compression and hydrogen bonding on the hepatobiliary elimination of synthetic bilirubins,” McDonagh, A.F.; Boiadjiev, S.E.; Lightner, D.A. Drug Metab. Dispos. 2008, 36, 930-936.
“Fluorescence detected circular dichroism of a red-shifted exciton-coupling chromophore N,N'-carbonyl-bridged dipyrrinone derivative using an ellipsoidal device,” Nehira, T.; Boiadjiev, S.E.; Lightner, D.A. Monatsh. Chem. 2008, 139, 591-595.
“1,1-Bipyrrole. Synthesis and stereochemistry,” Dey, S.K.; Lightner, D.A. J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 9395-9397.
“Intermolecularly hydrogen-bonded dimeric helices. Tripyrrindiones,” Roth, S.D.; Shkindel, T.; Lightner, D.A. Tetrahedron 2007, 63, 11030-11039.
“A new bipyrrole coupling reaction,” Nikitin, E.; Nelson, M.J.; Lightner, D.A. J. Heterocyclic Chem. 2007, 44, 739-743.
“Influence of conformation on intramolecular hydrogen bonding on the acyl glucuronidation and biliary excretion of acetylenic bis-dipyrrinones related to bilirubin,” McDonagh, A.F.; Lightner, D.A. J. Med. Chem. 2007, 50, 480-488.