Compounds under investigation include the anticancer agents bryostatin 1 and ecteinascidin 743, selected steroids, as well as the marine toxin brevetoxin. In addition to developing enzyme-based syntheses, the biosynthetic intermediates identified in the metabolic studies are being used in collaborative projects with industrial groups involved in the aquaculture of the source organisms. In this setting, the effect of supplementing the source organism's diet with biosynthetic building blocks of the target compound is being examined. This program is the first exhaustive investigation of the properties and distribution of potential pharmaceutical agents from Atlantic cone snails. These snails are collected and their venom evaluated for the presence of novel neuropeptides that can be used as potential painkillers.
Further work involves the production of gamefish identification kits.
One of the major problems in obtaining data on these high level predators is the difficulty involved in accurately identifying them after harvesting. These kits should largely eliminate these identification problems and help maintain healthy populations of these valuable fish.