NSU Professor Presents Research on Marine Fungal Siderophores

TAHLEQUAH Finding new uses for fungus from the bottom of the ocean may not seem like the most glamorous job in the world, but Dr. Jessica Martin, Northeastern State University assistant professor of Chemistry, believes the results of her research could lead to some medical breakthroughs in the future.

Martin presented her research on marine fungal siderophores on June 11 at the Center for Environmental Bioinorganic Chemistry (CEBIC) at Princeton University during the CEBIC Summer Workshop 2007.

Since she arrived at NSU in August 2006, Martin has conducted research investigating the iron(III)-binding compounds, or siderophores, produced by the marine fungus Cunninghamella elegans.

We are interested in marine fungal siderophores because iron limits the growth of organisms in large areas of the ocean, said Martin. With the identification of new siderophores, we will better understand the growth of microorganism in the oceans, and can potentially use the new compounds to control microbial growth or to develop new antibiotics.

CEBIC aims to apply the tools and concepts of bioinorganic chemistry to environmental problems. Its principal research objective is to elucidate the structures, mechanisms and interactions of important natural metalloenzymes and metal-binding compounds, which mediate the environmental effects of trace metals in the environment.