The natural product kainic acid is used as template for the rational design of a novel conformationally restricted (S)-glutamic acid (Glu) analogue,(1 R, 4 S, 5 R, 6 S)-3-azabicyclo [3.3. 0] octane-4, 6-dicarboxylic acid (1a). The target structure 1a was synthesized from commercially available (S)-pyroglutaminol, in an enantioselective fashion, in 14 steps. Pharmacological characterization of 1a at human glutamate transporter subtypes 1, 2, and ...