New natural products and bioactive molecules from natural sources

Research Area 1) Isolation and structural elucidation of novel natural products from termite-associated microbes The major goal of our laboratory team is to isolate, elucidate structurally novel compounds and understand the role of natural products produced by microorganism derived from fungus-growing termites. The exploration of interaction between microbes and insects has recently uncovered a hidden treasure trove of natural products with biological activity and medical relevance. 2) Structural elucidation and discovery biological activities of natural compounds from Korean wild mushrooms and plants Many of Korean wild mushrooms have been reported to have a number of medicinal activities. Those edible mushrooms have long been used in traditional medicine for treating many illnesses. Some of Korean wild mushrooms are toxic or poisonous mushrooms, however, their constituents have been rarely investigated thoroughly, so far. In our ongoing effort to characterize new natural compounds with pharmaceutical activities from Korean natural sources, we have collected many of Korean natural sources and are focusing on discovering structurally novel compounds with biological effects.