$1.3 million Grant Expected to Yield 100 New Compounds from the Sea
10/10/2005 4:26:21 PM
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WILMINGTON, NC – During remarks at a ceremony formally opening the Southeastern Office of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo announced today a $1.3 million marine biotechnology grant to University of North Carolina Wilmington from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
“UNCW looks forward to being a full partner with the North Carolina Biotechnology Center,” said DePaolo, pledging the university’s financial commitment for two years to make this new venture an overwhelming success. “We are committed to work with you to build on the strengths of our area to bring good, high paying biotechnology jobs to the people of this region.”
The three-year, $1.3 million grant will be used to develop 100 new chemical structures from cultured marine microalgae only available at the UNCW Center for Marine Science.
“This is the first major funding achievement of the Center for Marine Science Marine Biotechnology Program since it was established,” said DePaolo.
In 2004, the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $2 million in recurring research funds to UNCW to establish the marine biotechnology program with one focus being discovery of pharmaceuticals from the sea. Shortly afterwards, the university revealed the discovery of a new compound that shows promise as a treatment for cystic fibrosis.
“This major federal grant signals that UNCW is already recognized as a significant player on the national biotechnology stage,” DePaolo said. “The UNCW Center for Marine Science is poised to tap the oceans as sources of new biologically active compounds.”
The new grant will be overseen by Dr. Jeff Wright, Carl B. Brown Distinguished Professor of Marine Science at the Center for Marine Science, in collaboration with two other UNCW co-investigators, Dr. Daniel M. Baden, director of the Center for Marine Science and William R. Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Marine Sciences, and Dr. Carmelo R. Tomas, associate professor of biology and marine biology.
“This grant is particularly significant because it lets us begin to explore, in a comprehensive fashion, the full potential of the ocean. The bar has been set high here, but I am confident that the team of scientists we have at UNCW will make significant progress in tapping into these undersea treasures,” said Wright.
“Scientists at the UNCW Center for Marine Science have a well-established history of identifying and culturing marine microalgae, and isolating, purifying and characterizing the chemical compounds produced by these microalgae,” said Wright. “This combination of expertise and skills in chemistry and marine biology has enabled UNCW scientists to isolate and identify many new and unusual chemical structures – many with important biological activity.”
Organisms that live in the oceans hold considerable potential as sources of new biologically active compounds. Harnessing this potential requires the collaboration of scientists from different disciplines.
Wright explained that the UNCW Center for Marine Science has assembled a unique group of marine chemists and biologists who will work together to provide the National Institute of General Medical Sciences diverse chemical compounds from culturable marine microalgae.
The source of these compounds is an exclusive collection of marine microalgae held in culture at the Center for Marine Science. Large-scale cultivation of these microalgae will supply the relatively large amounts (tens of milligrams) needed for the project research at the NIH Institute.
As new compounds are isolated and purified, a team of structural organic chemists will rapidly identify and characterize each one, using state-of-the-art analytical equipment housed at CMS, Wright said.
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences supports basic biomedical research that is not targeted to specific diseases. The Institute funds studies on genes, proteins, and cells, as well as on fundamental processes like communication within and between cells, how our bodies use energy, and how we respond to medicines. The results of this research increase our understanding of life and lay the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Media may contact Dr. Wright at 910/962-2397.
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