Bioprospecting, mode of action & biosynthesis of phycotoxins

Marine phytoplankton play an important role in the ecosystem and are important for carbon dioxide reduction and consequently oxygen production at a global scale. Furthermore, they serve as nutrients for many animals. Beside the already known metabolites marine phytoplankton are a rich and largely unexplored source for novel compounds. These might be used for the development of front-line drugs for various diseases. However, some of these microscopically small organisms might also occur in such high numbers that they are harmful, such events are then referred to as harmful algal blooms and the associated toxins are called phycotoxins (= algal toxin). The project is an ambitious collaborative project joining specialized groups with the mutual interest to enhance our knowledge about marine phytoplankton and their toxins. It will be conducted by researchers from two research groups in France (located at CEA-Saclay and Institut Pasteur) and two in Austria (Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Analytical Chemistry both from the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna). The objectives of the ICH-NEURO-MET project are: i) the discovery of novel fish toxic and neurotoxic bioactive compounds produced by marine phytoplankton, ii) their structural elucidation and iii) the determination of their mode of action, and finally iv) the deciphering of their biosynthetic pathways. The discovery of novel phycotoxins and the characterization of their biosynthetic pathways may pave the way for the development of novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer, toxin detection kits and provide biomolecular tools for organic green chemistry. Furthermore, a more comprehensive knowledge about toxic compounds of microalgae will improve the food-safety of marine food and an increased knowledge about their toxic potential might help to find strategies against them and ensure food security.