Casiraghi et al.Giovanni Casiraghi was born in Monza, Italy, in 1939 and took his laurea degree in Chemistry in the University of Pavia. After postdoctoral work at the same University with Professor S. Pietra (1965Pietra ( -1968), he joined the Department of Organic Chemistry at University of Parma. In 1971 he became an Assistant Professor and in 1980 an Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry. In 1986 he was promoted to a Professorship in Organic Chemistry and, in the same year, he transferred to the University of Sassari. In 1991 he returned to the University of Parma, joining the Faculty of Pharmacy (Pharmaceutical Department) where he was appointed to the Chair in Organic Chemistry. Topics he is now interested in include asymmetric organic synthesis and the design and implementation of novel synthetic strategies to densely functionalized compounds of biological interest, including carbohydrate mimics, amino acids, modified nucleosides, glyco-and nucleoporphyrins.Franca Zanardi was born in S. Secondo, Parma, Italy, in 1968. She studied Chemistry at the University of Parma where she received her laurea degree in 1993. Since 1992 she has been working under the OBn OBn 19 20 21 3 Key: (a) MeN02, DBU; (b) Net oxidation; (c) EtSH, HCI; then NaH, BnBr, DMF; then Mel, Na2C03; (d) (Et0)2P(0)CH(NHCbz)C02Me, NaH, CH2CI2; (e) H2, Pd/C; (f) H2, Pd(OH)2; then Dowex H*. MeOH. 3 Key: (a) HCN2C02Et; (b) Ao20, pyridine; then Rh2(AcO)4; (c) NH2NH2, MeOH; (d) Mn02, CHCI3; then TBAF, THF; (e) MCPBA, CHCI3;then AcOH; then NH4OH; (f) Rh2(AcO)4, C6H6; (g) TFA; then NH4OH.