'Nature’s Marvellous Molecules' Hamilton Professorial Lecture by Professor Michèle Prinsep.

Hamilton Professorial Lecture - 9th September, 2025 Speaker: Professor Michèle Prinsep 'Nature’s Marvellous Molecules: the diversity and applications of natural products' by Professor Michèle Prinsep. Nature is the best synthetic chemist known, creating a vast array of molecules. Natural products (secondary metabolites) are a subset of these compounds which possess more intricate molecular architecture but, in many cases, we have no idea of their function in the producing organism. However, natural products are thought to be implicated in most interactions between organisms, so knowledge of their fascinating structures and role in nature can both aid understanding of the natural world and enable us to utilise these compounds for our benefit. Join Professor Michèle Prinsep as she discusses her research on the isolation, structural elucidation and applications of secondary metabolites from marine and freshwater/terrestrial environments, especially those from marine invertebrates and microorganisms. This fascinating talk will take you on a journey through cutting-edge research in natural product chemistry — revealing how the structures of these molecules unlock new possibilities in pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, horticulture and agriculture. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation of the molecular magic woven through the natural world — and how it might shape the future.