Novel Natural Products From Euglena
Publication Date
December 31, 2025
Creator
Abstract
Discovering compounds from nature has equipped humanity to address dietary needs, protect crops, and combat diseases. As the environment changes, the population grows, and antibiotic resistance rises, finding new compounds is critical. Historically, natural sources have been a reliable route for antibiotic discovery, with most current antibiotics derived from natural products. While bacteria have been the primary focus, other organisms like algae, with complex and underexplored genomes and metabolic profiles, hold untapped potential for novel compounds. Traditional bioassay-led approaches often rediscover known compounds. In contrast, modern structure- or gene-first strategies reduce this risk and streamline the selection of novel compounds. To develop new antibiotics and treatments for infectious diseases and cancer, new sources and methods must be explored.
This thesis highlights Euglena as a promising source of novel natural products. Using analytical chemistry and cheminformatics, over 32 Euglena strains were grown under varied conditions to generate diverse metabolic profiles. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS²) and Molecular networking via the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking Database identified potential new compounds. Three compounds were semi-isolated, with preliminary structural suggestions made through NMR analysis.
Item Type
ethesis
Thesis Type
PhD
Supervisors
Subjects (LC)
Associated Schools / Departments
School of Chemistry
eprints ID
81877
UoN Repository URI
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Name
Eve Roxborough PhD thesis minor corrections.pdf
Type
Full-text
Description
Examined. Minor Corrections
Size
9.24 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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