The proposed research will determine the biological activities of marine natural products through the use of assays for the toxic and deterrent properties of extracts and isolated metabolites from tropical invertebrates toward natural predators. Thus we will gain important information about the functions of these compounds in chemical communication among marine organisms as well as an efficient method for the determination of their biological activities. Bioactive extracts and isolated metabolites will be tested for their pharmacological activities and potential biomedical applications. The study will contribute to our limited knowledge of the chemical interactions of murine invertebrates, the physiological properties of marine natural products, and the relationship between natural adaptive functions of secondary metabolites and their biomedical potential. Bioactive metabolites will be isolated by chromatographic methods and their structures determined by spectroscopic techniques (NMR, UV, IR, and HRMS). Bioactive metabolites will be incorporated into established testing programs (NCI, U.C. Santa Barbara) to determine their pharmacological activities in specific assays. Funding is requested primarily for personnel and supplies to carry out this research. This research program will provide educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate (Master's degree) students at the University of Guam, a predominantly undergraduate and minority institution with a relatively large biology, nursing, and public health related program.
