The Author

Mike Pitts obtained his first degree at Loughborough University, U.K., in 1997. Zeneca sponsored a project on dioxirane chemistry in his final year, following a successful industrial placement year as part of the degree. He then moved to the University of Exeter, U.K., to obtain a Ph.D. with Professor Chris Moody on ‘Selective Reductions with Indium Metal’. A postdoctoral stay with Professor Johann Mulzer at the University of Vienna, Austria, followed, where he completed a formal total synthesis of laulimalide as part of a European Network focused on antitumour natural products. Mike returned to the U.K. in 2002 to work for StylaCats Ltd., a start-up company from the University of Liverpool, where he initiated and developed a microwave research platform. In September 2005 he moved to Reaxa Ltd. in Manchester, a technology spin-out from Avecia, to develop microwave processes with their proprietary catalysts. In August 2007 he took up his current position managing Sustainable Technologies at the Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer Network. His present address is: Chemistry Innovation KTN, The Heath, Runcorn WA7 4QZ, U.K; E-mail:mike.pitts@ciktn.co.uk