Book Description

The present series, "Bioorganic Marine Chemistry, " is being launched at a time when we have the fundamental knowledge and the requisite instrumentation to probe the molecular basis of many biological phenomena. Worldwide interest in the organic chemistry of marine plants and animals was stimulated in the late 1960's through conferences, publications, and a singular event - the discovery of prostaglandins in a gorgonian coral. The study of marine natural products remains firmly anchored in chemistry, i.e., in molecular integrity, yet continues to seek greater involvement in functional biology. Involvement with biology started on three fronts simultaneously: a study of chemical interactions occurring in the marine habitat, i.e., marine ecology; a search for meaningful and appropriate bioassays designed to guide isolation and to predict the nature and degree of biological activity, and finally, a delineation of biological activity that might lead to application in medicine or agriculture. The scope of this series is the entire domain of marine bioorganic chemistry - ecology, pharmacology, biosynthesis, molecular structure, laboratory synthesis. Marine biologists, pharmacologists, organic and medicinal chemists will be the prime audience. The level of the reviews will be geared to researchers and graduate students in biology, chemistry and biomedicine. Complete documentation will allow ready entry into the primary literature. The book contains the following four contributions: V.J. Paul, W. Fenical: Natural Products Chemistry and Chemical Defense in Tropical Marine Algae of the Phylum Chlorophyta. P. Karuso: Chemical Ecology of the Nudibranchs. N. Fusetani: Marine Metabolites Which Inhibit Development of Echinoderm Embryos. M.H.G. Munro, R.T. Luibrand, J.W. Blunt: The Search for Antiviral and Anticancer Compounds from Marine Organisms.