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Assoc. Prof. Gints Šmits

Head of laboratory
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I have always been fascinated by accessing naturally occurring compounds through chemical synthesis, a focus that also defines one of the research directions for the PhD candidates in the BioTransform project. I am excited to be part of a collaborative effort that seeks a deeper understanding of how the microbiome transforms bioactive compounds from olive and bilberry—knowledge that can ultimately contribute to the global fight against obesity and diabetes.

Professional background

Gints Šmits (b. 1985) has been the Head of the Laboratory of CNS Active Compounds at the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis since 2019. His primary expertise lies in organic chemistry, with a strong focus on the total synthesis of natural products. His laboratory has achieved the synthesis of numerous indole alkaloids as well as anticancer antibiotics from the pyrrolo[1,4]benzodiazepine (PBD) family. This work has further expanded into several medicinal chemistry projects, including antibacterial agents and antibody–drug conjugates for targeted cancer therapy.

Another major research direction of his group is organic chemistry methodology, particularly main-group catalysis, aiming to develop sustainable processes for the valorization of renewable resources. In addition, G. Šmits is actively involved in artificial spider silk research and is a co-founder of a start-up commercializing spider silk membranes for medical applications.

He is an Associate Professor at Riga Technical University and a corresponding member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

Selected publications
  • N. Ūdris, R. Ločmele, J. Pelšs, A. Ture, G. Sakaine; A. Kinēns, G. Smits*. Enantiopure piperidines via stereoselective Ireland–Claisen rearrangement: entry into corynanthe alkaloids. Org. Chem. Front., 2025, 12, 1945, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4QO02235A
  • Radical SAM Enzyme WprB Catalyzes Uniform Cross-Link Topology between Trp-C5 and Arg-Cγ on the Precursor Peptide. H. Khan, J. R. Haedar, V. Kiselov, V. Romanuks, G. Smits, S. Donadio, C.-S. Phan., ACS Chem. Biol. 2025, 20, 259. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.4c00693
  • One-Pot Synthesis of Acetals from Esters: Access to Naturally Occurring Fragrances. Ločmele, A. Ture, Z. Leitis, G. Szilvágyi, J. Répási, G. Smits, J. Org. Chem. 2025, 90, 11395, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.joc.5c01169
  • Concise access to C2-ethylidene pyrrolo[1,4]benzodiazepine natural products. Leitis, G. Sakaine, K. Brokāne, G. Smits* Org. Biomol. Chem. 2023, 21, 9061. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3OB01430D