Project PIs:
Seaweeds create toxic compounds to deter consumers (fish) and poison competitors (corals). However specific fishes resist these toxins, and some corals also are resistant to their effects. These tolerances may be due to unusual microbes in the gut microbiomes of fishes and in coral mucus coverings. GT has an unusual mixture of marine ecologists, chemists and microbiologists to address these issues. Microbes or genes responsible for degradation may be useful in engineered biosystems (bioreactors, sewage treatment plants, etc.) for degrading some of these unusual toxins - some of which have anthropogenically produced parallels (organic halogens, etc.)
