text: Ring A (12) and ring C (19) reacted together to alcohol 20 in  a Shapiro reaction (tBuLi, CeCl) in a similar way as in the Nicolaou Taxol total synthesis. Subsequent steps were epoxidation (VO(acac), tBuOH) to 21, reduction (LiAlH) to the diol and alcohol protection (aqueous KOH, BnBr, BuNHSO) to benzyl ether 22, alcohol protection (MeSiHCl, imidazole) and oxidation (DDQ) to DMS ether 23, tosylation (TsCl, DMAP) to 24, deprotection to diol (TBAF) and reprotection (TMSOTf, 2,6-lutidine, DIPEA) as TMS ether 25, Ley oxidation to aldehyde 26, cyanohydrin formation (TMSCN, 18-crown-6, KCN) and alcohol protection (ethyl vinyl ether, camphorsulfonic acid) to EE ether 27.