Gulino, Stephanie

While natural products have served as a prolific
source of unique chemistry, supply remains a significant
obstacle for drug discovery. The overall goal
of this project is to determine whether isolation and
semi-synthesis can provide adequate quantities for
biological evaluation. Erythropodium caribaeorum is
an abundant gorgonian in the Caribbean that produces
two unique marine diterpenoids, erythrolides
A and B, which have been shown to undergo photochemical
transformations to yield more complex
chemistry. In this project, erythrolides A and B will be
isolated from E. caribaeorum collected off the coast
of Boca Raton, Florida. These compounds will be
exposed to ultraviolet light and analyzed to identify
any chemical changes. New compounds will then
be subjected to biological screening for cytotoxicity
against human cancer cell lines. This project will
not only identify new bioactive compounds but also
provide a novel route for the large-scale production
of medically relevant marine natural products.