Academic Chemistry and the Discovery of Bioactive Marine Natural Products

Abstract

The most important biological or pharmaceutical agents have been obtained from sessile marine organisms, such as sponges, tunicates, soft corals, gorgonians, and bryozoans. The association of bioactive compounds with sessile and soft-bodied organisms could be predicted by application of the principles of chemical ecology that were developed as an integral part of marine natural products chemistry. Technical advances in analytical instrumentation and methodology have greatly enhanced the productivity of the relatively small number of marine natural products chemists.