The Pandemic Defeated My CURE: Replacement with a Student Project of a Literature Review of the Syntheses of Small Molecule Drugs

Loss of 7 weeks of organic chemistry laboratory work, including 3-4 weeks that would have been used for a CURE, prompted the creation of a literature review project in which students investigated synthetic routes to drug molecules of molecular weight 180 g/mol or less. The students wrote a 5-10 page paper and then made videotaped presentations based on the report and feedback from the instructor on that report. The project appears to have succeeded in connecting organic synthesis to real-world applications and life sciences. While lacking the hands-on aspect of lab work, it gave the students experience in searching and reading the literature, writing, and delivering presentations.