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Lilibeth A. Salvador-Reyes, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorDr. Lilibeth A. Salvador-Reyes earned her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences-Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Florida. She joined the University of the Philippines Diliman Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) in 2013, where she established the Marine Pharmacognosy Lab. Dr. Salvador-Reyes’ current research focuses on discovering natural products from marine organisms such as bacteria, cyanobacteria, sponges, and mollusks. She combines the time-tested traditional method of bioactivity-guided purification with advanced methodologies in genomics, metabolomics, and high-throughput screening for the discovery of bioactive natural products. Dr. Salvador-Reyes also bolstered the biobanking efforts of marine microorganisms and compounds. She is currently the curator of the Marine Natural Products Legacy Collection at UPMSI. She was awarded the 2023 Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies Outstanding Achievement Award for Chemical Research.
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Current Lab Members
JEREMIAH BATUCANJeremiah joined the lab in 2015 as a research assistant studying cyanobacteria-derived natural products. He has since become the most prolific natural products chemist in the lab purifying over 40 compounds from cyanobacteria, shipworm-associated microorganisms, toxic dinoflagellates, and macroalgae. He defended his master’s thesis for his degree of Master of Science in Marine Science (Biotechnology) in September 2023, wherein he was able to purify new neuroactive compounds from the shipworm-symbiont Teredinibacter turnerae. In his early days as an RA, Jemai enjoys hiking.
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ZABRINA BERNICE MALTOZab became a member of the lab in 2016, initially tasked to purify compounds from sponges and associated microorganisms. Since then, she has been involved in different projects utilizing mass spectrometry-based approaches to profile the chemical space of marine organisms investigated in the lab. She acquired her Master of Science in Chemistry in 2023, wherein she studied the biochemical changes involved in the temporary encystment of the toxigenic dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense. In her free time, she enjoys embroidery.
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ZILDJIAN ACYATANZildj is a molecular biologist by training but transitioned to a marine natural products chemist after joining the lab in 2017. She isolated a neuroactive novel compound from a mollusk-associated bacteria, which became the topic of her master’s thesis for her degree of Master of Science in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in 2020. She holds the record as the fastest student to earn a master’s degree in the lab. She is currently a technical assay specialist, performing in vitro mammalian cell-based assays, and neuronal calcium imaging (DRG assay). Zildj likes to run marathons in her free time.
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JACQUELYN PERANJacque is a microbiologist by training and is currently the University Research Associate in the lab after joining in 2020. Her master’s thesis focuses on the culture media optimization of T. turnerae for the production of potentially new compounds from this shipworm endosymbiont. Her thesis allowed her to integrate traditional statistical modeling with multi-omics approach in understanding the influence of nutrition in chemotype regulation. She also once performed a field collection of shipworm-associated bacteria aboard UPMSI’s research vessel MY Panata. Aside from being a productive scientist, she’s also a talented baker and artist.
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MICHELLE MARIE OCHOAMia initially joined the lab as an undergraduate student for her thesis on cyanobacteria natural products and stayed for her master’s. However, she shifted her focus to sponge-associated actinomycetes, using modified microbial elicitation as a means of expressing cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters. While doing her thesis, she teaches undergraduate students chemistry courses at the Institute of Chemistry. She also enjoys photography and advocates biking to work.
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ERNEST GUILLER PINEDAErnest is a licensed chemist, who is a board exam topnotcher. He joined the lab in 2019 as an MSc student in Marine Science (Biotechnology) through the DOST-ASTHRDP. For his MSc thesis, he has identified a new neuroactive compound from the shipworm endosymbiont T. turnerae. He has presented his study in three different conferences in 2023, and won the best presentation for all of them! News about his best poster presentation at an international conference in Singapore was posted on UPMSI’s Facebook page and had the highest reach with 29,999 engagements, earning him the title “face of Marine Pharmacognosy Lab.”
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FRANCHES RIGEL JALOSRigel joined the lab in 2024 as a graduate student in MS Marine Science (Biotechnology). She is currently exploring potential projects for her master's thesis.
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IRENE PAMISANIrene has been a reliable lab technician since the lab’s inception. She is in charge of the cell culture laboratory’s upkeep and maintenance. She also prepares the culture media for some microbial isolates. Lab members cheerfully call her the “Queen of all Media.”
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MELFEB CHICOTEFeb is considered a shipworm whisperer because of his ability to determine which mangrove tree stump is infested with shipworms. He was part of the team that discovered the rock-boring shipworm in Bohol, Philippines. In the lab, he performs routine equipment maintenance and chemical extraction.
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Current undergraduate students
REYCEL ROSE PATOCReycel is currently a BS Chemistry student at UP Diliman. She is working on the isolation of bioactive compounds from Philippine seaweed species for her undergraduate thesis.
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ALEXA GAIL ROXASAlexa is a BS Biology student at UPV Tacloban who did her midyear internship in the lab in 2023. She is currently working on the antimicrobial screening of shipworm-associated non-cellulolytic bacteria for her undergraduate thesis. She is co-advised by Dr. Leni Yap-Dejeto.
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ALANNIS AGNOAlannis is currently a BS Biology student at UPV Tacloban. She is working on the isolation of shipworm-associated cellulolytic bacteria, and characterization of their cellulolytic activity for her undergraduate thesis. She is co-advised by Dr. Leni Yap-Dejeto.
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XAVIERY BAJETXave is a BS Biochemistry student at UP Manila, and is currently working on the antimicrobial screening of Philippine seaweed extracts for her undergraduate thesis. Xave is co-advised by Dr. Noel Quiming.
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