This project is part of DTP's program to explore the marine environment for producers of inhibitors of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) virus and/or new antineoplastic agents of novel structural types. The ultimate goal is the development by NCI of new anti-AIDS and/or new anticancer drugs for use in the treatment of either of these diseases syndromes in man. The objectives of this project are to isolate, taxonomically identify, grow, and extract about 600 cultures representing at least 50 Genera, divided between at least 2 orders of marine protozoa; to extract these representative cultures and over a three year period to submit to the National Cancer Institute the vacuum dried extracts and viable specimens of the cultures employed to prepare the extracts.
