Multiply-deuterated syringolide2 3 was prepared from D-xylulose and 8-bromooctanoic acid by a convergent route based on our previously reported biomimeticsynthesis of this microbialelicitor. Key steps were the thermal acylation of the anisylidene-protected sugar 6 with the C-octenoyl Meldrum's acid derivative 7b, the one-pot triple-cyclisation of the xylulose β-ketoester 9b to 9,10-dehydrosyringolide 2 (10),