Marine Drugs

Discovery and development of bioactive molecules from marine organisms

In our laboratory, we use underwater diving equipment(SCUBA) to directly enter the sea and observe the marine ecosystem, and isolate and identify various invertebrates and microorganisms that coexist and parasitize them. In addition, grab samplers are used to collect sediment from coastal areas, and microorganisms are isolated and identified in tidal flats. These microorganisms are cultured in a medium containing seawater, extracted with an organic solvent, and purified by a variety of chromatographic methods. The purified molecule has a chemical structure determined by nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) and mass spectrometer(MS). Also, we screen the biological activity of the purified molecules through a variety of experimental methods.