样本采集
港分公司 样本采集
海洋生物医学 & Biotechnology 研究 Program has an extensive collection of marine organisms to support its research. Many of these specimens were collected using the historic Johnson-Sea-Link I 和 II submersibles, which featured unique capabilities for collecting fragile specimens from the ocean floor 和 sites not accessible with trawls or dredges, 比如深海前礁, vertical walls 和 boulder zones. The group also collect年代specimens by scuba, snorkeling 和 wading. The majority of samples comes primarily from around the Atlantic 和 Caribbean; others have come from the Galapagos, 西太平洋, 地中海, 特质。, Western Africa 和 the Bering Sea.
无脊椎动物
The collection includes an extensive array of frozen invertebrates that are used for marine natural products drug discovery research. The wide diversity of marine habitats that have been sampled includes deep continental 和 isl和 slopes, 深礁和浅礁, 珊瑚滩和珊瑚墙, rhodolith银行, 洞穴, 草床, 牡蛎和贻贝床, 海带森林, 红树林泻湖, 内陆盐湖, 沉船, 还有桩基和码头.
Two strategies have been used in collecting specimens for drug discovery research. The first is to maximize taxonomic diversity. 在这个过程中, an emphasis is placed on collecting specimens which are related, 但是不同的, from those which are known to have bioactive natural products. The second emphasis is to evaluate ecological factors such as consumer pressure, growth form (e.g.，薄外壳vs. 巨大的), level of resource competition 和 presence or absence of biofouling, 和 relate this to expression of secondary metabolism. 例如, we have observed a higher percentage of cytotoxic active agents in thin encrusting sponges. One possible role for these compounds may be to allow for continued colonization of relatively large surface areas.
We have also observed a greater percentage of active compounds in invertebrate consortia (e.g., where two invertebrates grow in association). 例如，海绵 Spongosorites sp. 和 Thrombu年代sp. are in almost all instances found in association with Vermetid molluscs 和 both possess potent bioactive compounds. 有趣的是, we have also observed that organisms which are conspicuously colored 和 live in habitats with limited or no ambient light often possess interesting secondary metabolites (Dercitus sp. 和 Spongosorites sp.). Such organisms are also targeted for collection.
微生物
As a part of our drug discovery efforts, the microbiology group has developed a major culture collection of marine microbes (the 港分公司 Marine Microbial Culture Collection, HBMMCC) derived in large part from deep-water sponges. The collection consists of more than 19,000微生物, 有11个,000 from depths greater than 45 meters.
A total of 2,290 heterotrophic bacterial isolates have been identified. This subset contains 233 different taxa from six major bacterial clades (Alpha-, β-, 和Gamma-Proteobacteria), 循环流化床(噬细胞菌属, Flavobacteria, 和拟杆菌), 克+高GC含量, 和克+低GC含量.
The HBMMCC also holds more than 1,600 fungal isolates. 大多数(1),250) of these isolates was derived from marine invertebrates with the remainder isolated from environmental samples such as wood 和 water samples.
The development of this culture collection demonstrates the rich diversity of cultivable microorganisms that is present in the marine environment. Cultures are added to the collection at a rate of 250-500 per year.
The 港分公司 Marine Microbial Database contains information on the subset of the collection that has been identified using molecular techniques.
Isolates are grown in liquid culture (fermentation) 和 extracted to provide material for the drug discovery program. Isolates are also tested for their activities in biotechnological applications.
