Investigation on the chemistry of the metabolic products of fungi and plants

Work is discovery-oriented – screening, isolation and biological evaluation of bioactive metabolites of fungal and plant origin, and identification of their potential use for human benefit. Efforts are made to utilise the living fungal collections, as well as those from targeted ecological groups (for example endophytes, mycorrhizae and lichens) of mainly British fungi. Duties include the co-ordination of all the stages involved, from maintaining and growing of fungal strains, optimisation of the growth conditions for maximum metabolite production, detection and isolation of compounds, and their evaluation. High priority strains were selected from a preceding period of screening (2001-2005), and up to 89 metabolites have been isolated within the following 2 years. Work continues on building-up of a chemical inventory originating from the living fungal collections at Kew and the British native flora. The work is also aimed at assisting classification of difficult groups of organisms, such as lichens, for which chemical data are an integral part of classification. These activities also involve recording of the specimen and strain information, tracking live cultures, and metabolites; consequently, I am responsible for management of a suite of databases that hold these data. I am also responsible for running and maintaining laboratory equipment, including the freeze-driers.