The Department of Medicinal Chemistry hosted the 2nd RM1 Trainee Meeting at the University of Florida on Dec. 16. Supported by the NIH NIGMS RM1 grant titled “Integrative Multidisciplinary Discovery Platform to Unlock Marine Natural Product Therapeutic Opportunities,” this event brought together 15 outstanding trainees to showcase cutting-edge research across disciplines.
The day began with a welcome and an insightful overview of the RM1 grant led by leading principal investigator and Professor Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D., setting the stage for an inspiring lineup of 15 trainee presentations spanning the grant’s five major aims.
Key highlights included:
- Sponge collection and discovery of novel bioactive compounds.
- Profiling microbial communities from marine cyanobacterial and sponge samples.
- Metagenomic and untargeted metabolomics analyses to prioritize biosynthetic clusters.
- Metagenome-guided discovery of biosynthetic pathways and novel metabolites.
- Multi-chassis platforms for heterologous expression and functional characterization.
- Modern enzymology and structural biology.
- Isolation and structural elucidation of marine natural products.
- Multi-platform screening of bioactive marine natural products for therapeutic potential.
- Innovative synthesis of bioactive metabolites and their analogs.
Trainees and collaborators from Princeton University and the Smithsonian Marine Station also joined virtually, reinforcing the collaborative nature of this program.
A special thank you to Ranjala Ratnayake, Ph.D., and Gabriella Williams for organizing this fantastic event, as well as to all PIs, Co-Is, collaborators, and trainee speakers for driving this exciting, interdisciplinary research forward.
Looking ahead,we are energized and inspired by the progress and discussions that will continue to unlock the therapeutic potential of marine natural products.