The University of Western Australia

Assoc/Prof Matthew Piggott

Associate Professor
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Contact details

Address

School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The University of Western Australia (M310)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 3170

Fax

6488 1005

Email

matthew.piggott@uwa.edu.au

Location

Room 329, Bayliss Building, Crawley campus

Qualifications

BSc PhD W.Aust.

Biography

Dr Matthew Piggott completed his BSc and PhD at The University of Western Australia. After postdoctoral stints at The Australian National University, and Boston College, he took up a lecturing position at the ANU in the Department of Chemistry. In 2005 Matthew moved to the School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences at UWA.

Key research

Our group’s research primarily involves the rational design and synthesis of biologically active compounds, either as drug candidates or as probes to gain insight into complicated biological systems. Our expertise is in synthetic organic chemistry and an overriding aim is to develop concise and efficient syntheses so that useful quantities of end-products and intermediates can be provided for biological evaluation by our collaborators.

Another area of interest is the design and synthesis of large, novel polycyclic aromatic compounds with potential materials and supramolecular applications.

For more details on any of these areas of research (see also "Current Projects"), please email Matthew.

Publications

28.“The monoamine re-uptake inhibitor UWA-101 improves motor fluctuations in the parkinsonian marmoset", Philippe Huot, Tom H. Johnston, Michael N. Gandy, M. Gabriela Reyes, Susan H. Fox, Matthew J. Piggott, Jonathan M. Brotchie. FASEB J, accepted.

27.“Stable triazolylphosphonate analogues of phosphohistidine", Shin Mukai, Gavin R. Flematti, Lindsay T. Byrne, Paul G. Besant, Paul V. Attwood and Matthew J. Piggott.* Amino Acids, accepted.

26.“Enhancing the anti-lymphoma potential of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('ecstasy') through iterative chemical redesign: mechanisms and pathways to cell death”, Agata M. Wasik, Michael N. Gandy, Matthew McIldowie, Michelle J. Holder, Anita Chamba, Anita Challa, Katie D. Lewis, Stephen P. Young, Dagmar Scheel-Toellner, Martin J. Dyer, Nicholas M. Barnes, Matthew J. Piggott,* John Gordon.* Investigational New Drugs, 2011, DOI 10.1007/s10637-011-9730-5.

25.Gavin R. Flematti, David J. Merritt, Matthew J. Piggott, Robert D. Trengove, Steven M. Smith, Kingsley W. Dixon, Emilio L. Ghisalberti. Burning vegetation produces cyanohydrins that liberate cyanide and stimulate seed germination. Nature Communications, 2011, 2, 360.

24.Is 2,3,4,5-Tetramethoxybennzoyl Chloride a Natural Product? Katie P. Punch, Emilio L. Ghisalberti and Matthew J. Piggott. Journal of Natural Products, 2011, 74, 1348-1350.

23.Characterization of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Enantiomers In Vitro and in the MPTP-Lesioned Primate: R-MDMA Reduces Severity of Dyskinesia, Whereas S-MDMA Extends Duration of ON-Time. Philippe Huot, Tom H. Johnston, Katie D. Lewis, James B. Koprich, M. Gabriela Reyes, Susan H. Fox, Matthew J. Piggott, and Jonathan M. Brotchie. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2011, 31, 7190 –7198.

22.Focus on phosphoaspartate and phosphoglutamate. P. V. Attwood, P. G. Besant and Matthew J. Piggott. Amino Acids, 2011, 40, 1035-1051.

21.Use of pifithrin to inhibit p53-mediated signalling of TNF in dystrophic muscles of mdx mice. Felicity J. Waters, Thea Shavlakadze, Matthew J. McIldowie, Matthew J. Piggott and Miranda D. Grounds. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 2010, 337, 119-131.

20.Making Mixtures to Solve Structures: Structural Elucidation via Combinatorial Synthesis. Nigel A. Lengkeek, Paul F. Greenwood, Blake Nguyen, George A. Koutsantonis and Matthew J. Piggott. Journal of Combinatorial Chemistry, 2010, 12, 141-150.

19.The alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist fipamezole improves quality of levodopa action in parkinsonian primates. H. Johnston Tom, H. Fox Susan, J. Piggott Matthew, Juha-Matti Savola and M. Brotchie Jonathan. Movement Disorders, 2010, 25, 2084-93.

18.Reduction of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia by the selective metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 antagonist 3-[(2-methyl-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)ethynyl]pyridine in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-lesioned macaque model of Parkinson's disease. Tom H. Johnston, Susan H. Fox, Matthew J. McIldowie, Matthew J. Piggott and Jonathan M. Brotchie. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2010, 333, 865-873.

17.An Expeditious Synthesis of Iminosugars. Michael N. Gandy, Matthew J. Piggott and Keith A. Stubbs. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 2010, 63, 1409-1412.

16.Redesigning the designer drug ecstasy: non-psychoactive MDMA analogues exhibiting Burkitt's lymphoma cytotoxicity. Michael N. Gandy, Matthew McIldowie, Katie Lewis, Agata M. Wasik, Danielle Salomonczyk, Keith Wagg, Zak A. Millar, David Tindiglia, Philippe Huot, Tom Johnston, Sherri Thiele, Blake Nguyen, Nicholas M. Barnes, Jonathan M. Brotchie, Mathew T. Martin-Iverson, Joanne Nash, John Gordon and Matthew J. Piggott. MedChemComm, 2010, 1, 287-293.

15.Physical and crystallographic characterization of the mGlu5 antagonist MTEP and its monohydrochloride. Matthew J. McIldowie, Michael N. Gandy, Brian W. Skelton, Jonathan M. Brotchie, George A. Koutsantonis, Mark A. Spackman and Matthew J. Piggott. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2010, 99, 234-245.

14.Structural identification and mass spectral interpretation of C3n highly branched alkanes in sediment and aquatic extracts and evidence for their anthropogenic origin. Paul F. Greenwood, Nigel A. Lengkeek, Matthew J. Piggott and Kieran Pierce. Organic Geochemistry, 2009, 40, 1055-1062.

13.Focus on phosphoarginine and phospholysine. P. G. Besant, P. V. Attwood and M. J. Piggott. Current Protein and Peptide Science, 2009, 10, 536-550.

12.Analysis of trimethyl carboxyphosphate by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Matthew J. McIldowie, Paul V. Attwood, Anthony Reeder and Matthew J. Piggott. Analytical Biochemistry, 2008, 376, 283-285.

11.Synthesis of Kalasinamide, a Putative Plant Defense Phototoxin. Michael N. Gandy and Matthew J. Piggott. Journal of Natural Products, 2008, 71, 866-868.

10.Insights into the mechanism and regulation of pyruvate carboxylase by characterisation of a biotin-deficient mutant of the Bacillus thermodenitrificans enzyme. Abdussalam Adina-Zada, Sarawut Jitrapakdee, Kathy H. Surinya, Matthew J. McIldowie, Matthew J. Piggott, W. Wallace Cleland, John C. Wallace and Paul V. Attwood. International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 2008, 40, 1743-1752.

9.Progress toward a Rationally Designed, Chemically Powered Rotary Molecular Motor. T. Ross Kelly, Xiaolu Cai, Fehmi Damkaci, Sreeletha B. Panicker, Bin Tu, Simon M. Bushell, Ivan Cornella, Matthew J. Piggott, Richard Salives, Marta Cavero, Yajun Zhao and Serge Jasmin. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2007, 129, 376-386.

8.Focus on phosphohistidine. P. V. Attwood, M. J. Piggott, X. L. Zu and P. G. Besant. Amino Acids, 2007, 32, 145-156.

7.Synthesis of 5,8-dimethoxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4(9H)-one. Matthew J. Piggott and Dieter Wege. Tetrahedron, 2006, 62, 3550-3556.

6.Crystal structure of 1-methyl-5,8-dihydroxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione. Brian W. Skelton and Matthew J. Piggott. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 2005, 58, 600-602.

5.Naphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-diones and related compounds: theoretically interesting and bioactive natural and synthetic products. Matthew J. Piggott. Tetrahedron, 2005, 61, 9929-9954.

4.The synthesis of 5-hydroxy-3-methylnaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione and 5,8-dihydroxy-1-methylnaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione. Matthew J. Piggott and Dieter Wege. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 2003, 56, 691-702.

3.The synthesis of ventilone A. Matthew J. Piggott and Dieter Wege. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 2000, 53, 749-754.

2.Some cycloaddition reactions of 5,8-dimethoxynaphtho[2,3-c]furan-4,9-dione. Matthew J. Piggott and Dieter Wege. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 1998, 51, 819-824.

1.Western Australian sandalwood oil: extraction by different techniques and variations of the major components in different sections of a single tree. M. J. Piggott, E. L. Ghisalberti and R. D. Trengove. Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 1997, 12, 43-46.

Roles, responsibilities and expertise

Expertise:

Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Medicinal Chemistry
Parkinson's disease
amphetamine synthesis

Chair, Chemistry Safety Committee
Chair, UWA Mutagens and Carcinogens Committee

Future research

See current projects

Funding received

The Brain Foundation
Ada Bartholomew Medical Research Trust
Atuka Ltd
ARC LIEF

Industrial relevance

Drug Discovery

Molecular electronics

Memberships

Royal Australian Chemical Institute

Honours and awards

The 2008 Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Organic Division, Athel Beckwith Lectureship.

Previous positions

Lecturer, The Australian National University

Teaching

2012
CHEM1002 Chemistry - Structure and Reactivity
CHEM2003 Chemical Synthesis
Honours Co-ordinator
MSc Anal. Chem. co-ordinator
CHEM3312 Chemistry of Drug Discovery and Design (PSB)
CHEM3305 Biological Chemistry (PSB)

Current external positions

Compiler "Research" column in Chem. in Aust.

Treasurer, WA RACI Synthetic and Organic Chemistry Group

Useful links

http://www.researcherid.com/rid/A-3251-2008

Current projects

Research Students:

Michael Gandy (PhD scholar, commenced 2006)
Redesigning the designer drug ‘ecstasy’: analogues of MDMA for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and Burkitt’s lymphoma

Hung (Blake) Nguyen (PhD scholar, commenced mid-2007)
Parkinson’s disease medicinal chemistry

Stephanie Russell (PhD scholar, commenced 2010)
MDMA analogues for the treatment of Blood Cancers

Marco Buccini (PhD scholar, commenced mid-2011)
Towards the total synthesis of alpkinidine, a marine pyrroloacridine with antitumour activity

Mark Walkey (Honours 2011)
Dihydropyrene-based organometallic molecular switches

Shi Yuan Jeow(Honours 2011, Singapore)
Synthesis of Alpkinidine Analogues &
Studies of a Novel N-Hydroxyindole Synthesis


Former Students:

Dr Shin Mukai (PhD 2007-2011)
Stable analogues of phosphohistidine

Dr Katie Punch (Hons, PhD 2005-2011)
Total synthesis of monosporascone and the antrocamphins

Erik Jan Lindeboom (Occupational Trainee)
An improved, large scale synthesis of Leadfluor-1.

David Osbourne (Honours 2009)
Polyacenes as bridging ligands for photoactive metal complexes.

Jesse Parkin-Gibbs (PhD 2009-2010)
Structural identification of samoquasine A through total synthesis.

Katie Lewis (Honours, PhD 2005-2009)
Redesigning the designer drug ‘ecstasy’: analogues of MDMA for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and Burkitt’s lymphoma

Collaborators:

Dr Jonathan Brotchie, University Health Network, Toronto Western Research Institute, Canada
Prof. John Gordon, Birmingham University, UK
A/Prof. Joanne Nash, University of Toronto, Canada
Prof. Mathew Martin Iverson, UWA
Prof. Paul Attwood, UWA
Dr Paul Besant, UWA
Prof. George Koutsantonis, UWA
Dr Christina Chai, Inst. of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, Singapore.

Research profile

Research profile and publications