Team 1

Metabolomics of Marine and Terrestrial Organisms

1. Scientific background

Metabolomics is the exhaustive and non-selective identification and quantification of all the metabolites of a biological system. The metabolome designates all the molecules of low molecular weight (<1500 Da) synthesized by an organism. Often called “secondary metabolites”, these molecules play key roles in the interactions between organisms and their environment. Environmental metabolomics is the application to the study of interactions between organisms and their environment, with the aim of characterizing the function of an organism at the molecular level and/or informing about the state of the environment. Many applications are possible in (i) ecophysiology, to support the biochemical responses of organisms to the biotic and abiotic conditions of their environment; (ii) in ecotoxicology to indicate the potential risks of chemical pollutants on organisms in their environment; and especially (iii) in chemical ecology to identify bioactive compounds involved in ecological interactions.

Terrestrial and marine environments constitute an inexhaustible reservoir of plant organisms (plants and algae) endowed with various biological activities. Although the organisms from the terrestrial environment are the most studied for considerations, in particular, technical (availability) and ethnopharmacological, the marine environment is characterized by a biodiversity and a much more marked chemodiversity than the terrestrial environment. The enhancement of species in the marine environment inevitably involves increased knowledge of the biology of this environment. The metabolites isolated from species in the marine and/or terrestrial environment often have very interesting biological activities. Nevertheless, the study of the effects of synergy constitute a very effective means for the increase and the valorization of their biological activities.

2. Educational goals :

• Training through research of doctoral students specialized in the field of the chemistry of natural products
• Contribution in the training of masters through the supervision of dissertations.

3. Scientific research objectives:

• Development of skills in extractive and separative chemistry and in the structural analysis of secondary metabolites,
• Establishment of a herbarium, in particular, of species of marine algae for a better knowledge of the national marine flora,
•  Chemical study of marine and terrestrial organisms,
• Chemical analysis of essential oils and volatile fractions of marine and terrestrial organisms,
• Screening of microbial strains from organisms from extreme environments, particularly marine ones,
• Study of ecological interactions: organism – environment,
• Study of synergistic effects based on the use of extracts, essential oils, volatile fractions and other pure natural or synthetic metabolites,
• Study of the bioconversion of metabolites and volatile fractions by strains isolated at the laboratory level.

Objectives for promoting research work

• Valorization of national terrestrial and marine natural resources,
• Patent filings and development of intellectual property.

Work in progress :

• Screening of microbial strains from marine organisms (brown algae) of industrial interest;
• Chemical analysis of essential oils and volatile fractions of marine algae and terrestrial endemic species;
• Isolation and characterization of keratinases from marine organisms (currently work is carried out on brown algae),
• Study of the ecological link between metabolites and isolated microbial strains;
• Enhancement of the biological activity of essential oil extracts and volatile fractions;
• Study of the synergism between the different metabolites, fractions of extracts and volatile fractions;
• Development of eco-extraction processes for natural products based on the use of green solvents.