Burnett, Brian M

Bioprospecting, the search for useful compounds found in nature, has led to the discovery of novel drugs and pharmaceuticals. For my thesis research, I analyzed the organic compounds in the venom of Crematogaster vicina Andre, an endemic Jamaican ant. Prior chemical analysis of Crematogaster species revealed diverse, bio-active organic compounds, which included long chained conjugated dienones, furanocembranoid, and diterpenes. I postulated that these types of compounds are characteristic of the Crematogaster venom. I used Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Sci-Finder database and SDBS database to test my hypothesis with C.vicina venom. I identified one bio-active organic compound of high abundance and similar characteristics of the organic compounds found in venom of the Crematogaster species from Europe: 1, 2 –Dihydro-4-ethylamino-1-methylpyrimidin-2-one, which I isolated as di (phosphate methyl ester).