Seminar: “The Tide is Turning – a Renaissance in Marine Natural Products Research”

17th WARREN MEMORIAL LECTURE

 A prestigious, invited, biennial lecture hosted by the Royal Society of Chemistry, South Africa, Southern Section

“The Tide is Turning – a Renaissance in Marine Natural Products Research”

Mike Davies-Coleman

Dean of Natural Sciences and Professor of Chemistry at the University of the Western Cape

DATE: Wednesday 13 November 2013

TIME: 16h30

VENUE: LT3, PD Hahn Building, UCT

Following on from the pioneering work of Professor Frank Warren, over three quarters of a century ago, interest in the natural products chemistry of South African diverse terrestrial flora has ebbed and flowed. For the last two decades studies of the natural products chemistry of South African marine invertebrates and algae have added a new dimension to our knowledge of our country’s unique biomolecular resources. A renewed global interest in the discovery of new marine natural products for pharmaceutical and other applications has seen the target natural product source organism shift from marine invertebrates to the symbiotic microbes that populate their tissues and the microbes that abound in the surrounding sediments and benthos. This shift in focus has recently opened new research opportunities for South African chemists, microbiologists and biotechnologists. The lecture will trace the evolution of marine natural products chemistry research in South Africa from the firm foundations laid by Warren and his generation of plant natural products chemists to the current multidisciplinary involvement of a new generation of South African scientists in the EU sponsored PharmaSea project.

Members of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the South African Chemical Institute, guests, students and all interested persons are cordially invited to attend.

Refreshments in the form of wine, soft drinks and snacks will be served in the Chemistry Tea Room after the lecture.

Enquires: Dr Sophie Rees-Jones, 021-650 2554

ALL WELCOME!