Date of Completion
Spring 5-9-2014
Thesis Advisor(s)
Marcy Balunas
Honors Major
Molecular and Cell Biology
Disciplines
Biology | Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutics | Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy | Other Chemicals and Drugs | Other Microbiology
Abstract
Marine natural products have recently been an increasingly abundant source of novel antibiotics. Given that there is an increasing resistance to current drug therapies, finding new sources such as marine natural products is essential. Tunicate-associated marine bacteria can be a significant source of antibacterial compounds. Two tunicates of the species Eudistoma were collected from Portobelo National Park on the Salmedina Reef of Panama in the Caribbean Sea. Bacteria associated with the tunicate were isolated, cultured, extracted, and fractionated. Fractions were tested against an array of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens in the BioMAP assay. Two fractions MB0086E and MB0088E demonstrated activity and specificity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, and Listeria ivanovii. This study focuses on developing the chemical profiles of the fractions using High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance as well as further examining their biological activity using various assays.
Recommended Citation
Yankova, Lyubina, "Chemical Profiling and Biological Activity of Two Tunicate-Associated Marine Bacteria" (2014). Honors Scholar Theses. 336.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/336