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Battle Below the Surface of the Ocean A VASTLY DIVERSE GROUP OF ORGANISMS COMPETE FOR LIMITED RESOURCES IN EVERY NICHE. THE CONTINUOUS INTIMATE CONTACT FORCES THESE ORGANISMS TO DEVELOP DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO DEAL WITH THE CONSTANT THREAT OF INVASION. MARINE MICROBES ARE LIMITED BY THEIR SIMPLE FORM AND ARE FORCED TO RESORT TO CHEMICAL MEANS. THEY DEFEND AGAINST AND ATTACK EACHOTHER CHEMICALLY. AT FENICAL RESEARCH GROUP THOSE NATURAL CHEMICALS ARE BEING HARVESTED AND TESTED AS TREATMENTS / CURES FOR HUMAN DISEASES. |
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The Fermentation lab in Scholander Hall Large scale fermentations of microorganisms that have been found to produce interesting chemical leads. |
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IN
THE MICROBIOLOGY PROGRAM FENICAL RESEARCH GROUP TRAVELS TO
REMOTE DESTINATIONS TO DIVE AND
COLLECT SAMPLES OF MARINE PLANTS, ANIMALS .AND SEDIMENTS. BACTERIA AND
FUNGI ARE THE FOCUS OF THE PROGRAM. THEY ARE ISOLATED FROM THE SAMPLES
AND CATALOGUED IN OUR CULTURE COLLECTION. THIS COLLECTION CONTAINS NEARLY
10,000 STRAINS FROM MANY GROUPS OF MICROORGANISMS. THE ISOLATES ARE
GROWN UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS TO TRIGGER DIFFFERENT CHEMICAL PATHWAYS.
THEN THE CULTURES ARE EXTRACTED TO CONCENTRATE THEIR "NATURAL PRODUCTS".
THESE SECONDARY METABOLITES
ARE THEN PREPARED AND TESTED AGAINST A VARIETY OF HUMAN DISEASES, INCLUDING:
CANCER, HERPES, AND A PANEL OF BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL INFECTIONS.
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THE
EXTRACTS ARE SHARED WITH COLLABORATORS WHO TEST AGAINST A MORE EXTENSIVE
GROUP OF DISEASES. THECOMPOUNDS THAT ARE ACTIVE ARE ASSIGNED TO ONE
OF MANY CHEMISTS IN OUR GROUP. THE CHEMIST HOPOES TO FIND A NEEDLE IN
A HAYSTACK AND GIVE THE WORLD A NEW MOLECULE. IT IS AN EXCITING PROCESS
TO WATCH AS NEW PROJECTS MOVE THROUGH THE CYCLE. POTENTIALLY WE MAY
SEE ONE THAT FREES MANKIND FROM HERPES, CANCER, OR AIDS.
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THE
CHARMAINE AND MAURICE KAPLAN LAB
The west end of this lab is dedicated to microbial isolation, small scale fermentation, and screening in our bioassays. The east end is dedicated to analytical chemistry.
VIEWOF SCRIPPS PIER FROM THE KAPLAN LAB |
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