The objective of this sub-program of the NCDDG is to discover natural products roduced by marine invertebrate animals and/or associated micro-organisms that display activity in Cyanamid's Oncology Drug Screen (CODS).
The specific aims developed to accomplish this goal are described below. I. To collect a variety of marine invertebrate animals (340 species annually) from different geographical locales and ecological niches. The majority of the samples (approximately 300) will be obtained from the Philippines as part of a collaboration with Dr. Edgardo Gomez, Director, UP-MSI. Samples will also be obtained from the shallow water reef, open ocean pelagic and benthic marine communities of Bermuda. 2. Micro-organisms from marine habitats will be isolated and cultured at Lederle Laboratories. The organisms that display activity will be re-fermented and supplies for isolation studies. 3. To perform bioassay guided isolation of active constituents from the extracts of the above mentioned organisms and to provide these metabolites for biological evaluation. 4. To structurally characterize the active constituents from the above mentioned organisms and to determine their mechanism(s) of action to the extent possible. 5. To perform systematic inventories of biodiversity of the various habitats within the Philippine marine ecosystem. These studies will be important for proper management and conservation of the Philippine marine environment.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 38 publications
