Success in marine natural products research depends to a much greater
extent than many of us wish to admit on the researcher's ability to isolate
metabolites of demonstrable purity. The first chapter of this, the third
volume in the series, focuses on this frequently slighted aspect of our
work, isolation and purification. Here, we look for guidance to the marine
chemist, whose work has traditionally revolved about separation and
identification of trace constituents in seawater. Although much of this
marine chemistry research has concentrated on introduced rather than
endemic constituents of the sea, methodology and techniques of separation
and purification are equally applicable to natural and man-made
organics. This first chapter, written from the viewpoint of the analyst, will
aid the natural products chemist in devising rational separation schemes
and in expanding his arsenal of useful techniques.