The focus of this research is the isolation of bromoperoxidases from marine organisms and the development of methodology for the use of the bromoperoxidases as environmentally benign bromination reagents. Marine algae, sponges and bacteria will be screened for bromoperoxidases using techniques developed previously for Plocamium cartilagineum and Portieria hornemanni. The efficacy of the bromoperoxidase as bromination agents will be tested using phenol, methyl salicylate, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, geraniol and linalool. The halogenation of alkenes, alkene cyclization, chiral epoxidation and the bromination of heteraromatics, cyclopropanes and alkynes will also be carried out. Undergraduate students will take part in all phases of the work. With this Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research efforts of Professors Roy K. Okuda and Patricia L. Grillione of the Department of Chemistry at San Jose State University. The focus of the work will be to develop synthetic methods for the use of bromoperoxidases as chemoenzymatic reagents for the environmentally friendly bromination of organic compounds. The work will be carried out with the involvement of undergraduate students
