Unraveling the diversity and biological activity of cyanobacteria natural products

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With over one-million lakes and access to upwards of 20% of global freshwater resources, Canada is the steward for a significant amount of the planet's drinking water. Over the last one hundred years, freshwater ecosystems (e.g., rivers, lakes and wetlands) have undergone widespread environmental change. Intense pressure on these ecosystems from population growth, pollution, increased temperatures, and habitat degradation are responsible for this change. A visible consequence of this environmental change is the increase in frequency and magnitude of toxic cyanobacteria blooms. Cyanobacteria blooms release mixtures of biologically active compounds into freshwater that negatively impact human and ecosystem health, wildlife, and local economies. Despite this, the chemistry, environmental concentrations, toxicological risks, and beneficial properties of most cyanobacteria chemicals are unknown. My research program will advance cyanobacteria chemistry using innovative strategies. Metabolomics-guided natural product discovery will target novel chemicals for structural characterizations. This will enable comprehensive exposure and biological activity assessments for poorly characterized cyanobacteria chemicals. Combining phenotype assays with metabolomics will determine the molecular modes of action for chemicals purified by my program. This research will mine cyanobacteria, an understudied reservoir of new chemistry, for novel chemicals with applications in agriculture and medicine. It will also support Canadian regulators that have the daunting task of managing increasingly stressed freshwater resources without understanding the diversity of chemicals released into the environment.