Novel Natural Products in Algae: an Untapped Resource for New Chemistry, Biochemistry and Bioactivity

Algae are a very wide range of organisms that are found all over the planet. There is evidence that many algal species produce exotic compounds via unusual biochemical means, though these compounds have not yet been well studied. For example, some species have enzymes for the production of complex metabolites, related to antibiotics and anticancer agents. This project aims to explore the natural product biosynthetic capacity of euglenoid algae. The PhD candidate will gain advanced training in algal cell culturing and metabolite structural analysis, including using chemoinformatics, mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. New compounds will be evaluated for bioactivity and further mode of action studies will be undertaken in collaboration with colleagues. The biosynthesis of these compounds will be explored in the algae through genome sequencing and metabolic labelling