Information Handling for Natural Product Acquisitions

Our goal is to develop NAPIS (Natural Products Information System), an integrated databasesystem for handling information collected in natural products acquisition and biological activity screeningprograms. This system coordinates written text, image, and geographical documentation on samplecollections with chemical and bioactivity data. Key features of this system include the phylogeneticstructure database engine (PSDE) and geographical information system )GIS). The system supportsportable field units capable of integrating sample collection, chemical, and bioactivity data withphotographic images and regional maps. Phase I will develop and demonstrate as a sample, thesystem's functional aspects using existing collection data, bioactivity data, an academic database, anda commercial chemistry database that can search by compound substructure. Phase II will amplify andextend the PSDE and further refine the system. NAPIS will be marketed to small or large programs withthe ability to customize its features. This powerful information handing concept uses advancedtechnologies to meet the need for source organism dereplication, dereplication by chemotaxonomy,recollection, and expedition planning in murine natural products acquisition programs.