Bill James Baker

Dr. Bill J. Baker is a researcher and professor at the University of South Florida and is currently heading expeditions to Antarctica in order to study various species of marine invertebrates, aspiring to gain a better understanding of how they survive their cold, harsh environment and evade the predators that lurk within it. He mainly focuses on the invertebrates' chemical defenses and looks for ways to apply them to pharmaceutical research in the hopes of one day creating cures for certain deleterious diseases. Dr. Baker is considered to be a marine natural product chemist, a term used to encompass a broad collection of scientific pursuits including, but not limited to: drug discovery, chemical ecology, analytical chemistry and spectroscopic analysis.
Beginnings, Academics & History
Dr. Baker was born in Salinas, California to Bill and Margaret Baker. He has one sibling—his older sister Kristi. Today, Baker has a wife of 28 years and a son who is currently studying to be a computer engineer at the University of Florida. Baker enjoys running, gardening, canoeing, hiking, and diving, in addition to building computers and reading. Baker reads Kingsolver, Irving, Matthiessen, Bryson, and Proulx among many others and enjoys American, Celt, and Hawaiian history. As for music, his tastes are broad including classical, bluegrass, Hawaiian, and rock and roll.
As a child, Dr. Baker always expected to go to college but was initially unsure of what college really was, as no one in his family before him had ever attended a university. He did not know what to expect and was therefore unaware that most scientific research was conducted at universities. He also never expected to conduct research or be a professor himself but became a researcher and educator by simply following his passions, something he considers himself lucky for as he now finds himself in a professional career built around those passions. Baker informally spent many hours in the outdoors observing nature in his teen and college years. These hours proved themselves essential in crafting what would turn out to be the basis of his professional career: a career that has combined his intellectual interest (chemistry), with his personal passion (nature). As a result, he greatly enjoys what he does, be it spending time in the classroom with his students, or furthering his (and others’) knowledge through his research group. He finds it incredibly rewarding to watch the educational achievements of his students and hopes to inspire them as his one time Chemistry professor, Victor Krimsley, inspired him.
Work in Academia
Having learned exactly what a university was, and what took place there, Dr. Baker attended the California Polytechnic State University (also referred to as Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo where he received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. To this day he holds California Polytechnic in very high regard, evidenced by his comments:
“I enrolled in the Chemistry program at Cal Poly almost whimsically. Sure, I had had an inspirational Chemistry professor early in my college education, and I had some familiarity with Cal Poly. But I really had no idea of what I was getting into. So that was my first taste of serendipity, because Cal Poly, the Cal Poly Chemistry faculty, my fellow Cal Poly Chemistry students, and the city of San Luis Obispo, were a perfect match for me and I thrived in that environment.”
He also met his future wife at Cal Poly before they both headed off to the University of Hawaii where Mr. Baker received his PhD and became Dr. Baker. He later went on to conduct Postdoctoral Research at both Rice University and Stanford University. In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Baker held many positions at these institutions, and others, including the positions of Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant at the University of Hawaii, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Rice and Stanford; Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Associate Professor of Chemistry, and Professor of Chemistry at the Florida Institute of Technology; several positions at the University of South Florida including Associate Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Chemistry, and Director of the Center for Drug Design, Discovery, and Delivery. He is currently the Director of the Center for Drug Discovery and Innovation. Although Dr. Baker is very fond of California Polytechnic, Dr. Baker considers the University of South Florida to be amongst the most memorable institutions he has worked at and has stated as such:
“...I have to say, most of my professional career and most of the achievements I am most proud of have taken place here at USF. I think many students and faculty at USF are highly motivated and the atmosphere of innovation is rich. USF has a lot going for it - I see only continued opportunity for significant research developing at this institution.”
He first came to learn of USF while he was employed at the Florida Institute of Technology, in Melbourne. While working there, he had much contact with the faculty of USF and, through them, came to know USF. One of his colleagues in particular, Ed Turos, was most influential in recruiting Dr. Baker to the University of South Florida and continues to be an inspiration for him.
Works, Awards & Recognition
Dr. Baker has been all over the world, from sample collecting trips to Papua New Guinea, meetings in France, and, of course, expeditions to Antarctica. One of his favorite places to conduct research is Palmer Station. He enjoys it there because it is a remote outpost on a remote continent and, as a result, along with the fact that Antarctica has such an extreme environment, there is much to discover there.
Passion for his work helped Dr. Bill J. Baker to overcome the obstacles of all types that come along with his research, be it lost samples, corrupted data sets, or mistakes in data interpretation. Baker claims he “wouldn’t say obstacles have ever limited ability to progress” (“Bill J. Baker Interview”). Instead, he moves on from these kinds of events by attempting to recover or regenerate data sets that have been lost, or, when they are irretrievable, he simply leads his team of undergraduate students right back to where they left off and tries to advance the project.
It was this dedication to his work that would lead Dr. Baker to, what is to date, his most admired finding since he began his research: the discovery of palmerolides. There are high expectations for these palmerolides—anti melanoma compounds—in the fields of biochemistry, and pharmacology.
Dr. Baker has received many awards and honors throughout the course of his life. Among those highlighted on his “Curriculum Vitae” (located on Baker’s University of South Florida Chemistry Faculty page): an award he won in 1984, Outstanding Teaching Assistant for the Hawaii Section of the American Chemical Society, in 1985 he received the University of Hawaii Graduate Student Organization Travel Grant, in 1992 he won the Oak Ridge National Laboratories Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, in 1998 he received the Service Award from Tetrahedron publications, and in 2010 He won USF’s Ambassador’s ‘Apple Polishing’ Award for student mentoring. Dr. Baker is also a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, the American Society of Pharmacognosy, and Sigma Xi (Baker, Bill J.). Dr. Baker has yet to author a book but has previously co-edited a book entitled Marine Chemical Ecology with his colleague Jim McClintock and has had a number of interviews appear in scientific journals and magazines such as Science News and Nature. He even had an interview featured in the magazine Elle. He has also had aspects of his research featured on NPR and BBC.
Baker's Point
After conducting underwater research with Jim McClintock on the ecology of the benthos of New Harbor, a bay on the western side of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica during the 1992-93, 1993-94 and 1996-97 field seasons, Baker received recognition in the form of a named point from the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names. Baker’s Point as it is named is located on the southern delineating point of the bay (“Baker Point”). (Baker’s co-worker Jim McClintock would receive a named point on the northern delineating point of the bay for this research as well.) When asked in an interview with a University of South Florida’s Acquisition of Knowledge Class which of his awards or honors he was most proud of, Baker responded that “Being honored with a geographic feature bearing name, especially as it is in Antarctica and based on research activities there, has been very special to .”
Components of Research
Dr. Baker’s research focuses on the development of pharmaceutical drugs from natural sources. His work with such natural products has been going on for more than a decade. Many of the compounds that Dr. Baker’s team has found come from marine organisms. Although these specimens seem incredibly alien, the chemicals found within them can be utilized for human needs due to the universality of the basic structures of life on Earth. All life on the planet shares a fundamental cellular construction. In fact, humans and plants share approximately sixty percent of their DNA, which basically contains the assembly instructions for cells. This means that the organisms in Dr. Baker’s research have the same primary metabolites, basic cellular structures, as humans. Primary metabolites include chemicals such as ATP, a cell’s energy source, and lipids, the compounds that make up cell walls. These chemicals are exceedingly important to the normal functioning of a cell.
Humans and the organisms in Dr. Baker’s research begin to differ in regards to secondary systems, such as immune systems. The primary targets for Dr. Baker’s enquiries, lower life forms like sponges, bacteria, microbes, etc., are far less complex than humans, and, as such, their immune systems are much simpler. In the human immune system, there is an entire network of organs, cells, and pathways contributing to the defense of the body from pathogens and predators. In less complex organisms, especially those that are unable to easily and quickly escape predators, the immune system is often simplified to only chemical defenses and toxins. The chemicals used in the defense of these simpler creatures often differ from compounds found in humans due to the difference in the immune systems.
The chemicals found through Dr. Baker’s research usually work by disrupting the normal functioning of primary metabolites. Essentially, they change the functioning of biological molecules. This can be used to create a desirable change in the body, thus making it a pharmaceutical drug. However, the nature of these chemicals comes with a downside. Even though they can be used for favorable medical results, they are essentially toxins. These are chemicals used to fend off predators, and can be dangerous in certain conditions. This is how negative side effects develop from the use of these drugs. The unpleasant symptoms of medicine are due to the fact that the drug is disrupting some biological process, which can cause discomfort. Of course, when used in moderation these side effects are usually insignificant in comparison to the benefits of the drug.
Because the advantages of these chemicals often outweigh the detriments, they can be utilized for medical purposes. For example, many of the chemicals found in this research are cytotoxic, meaning that they are toxic to, and thus can kill, cells. While this may not seem particularly medically worthy, it can in fact be applied to cancer treatment. Cancer is a genetic malfunction causing a cell to reproduce uncontrollably without undergoing the normal death phase, producing a mass of cells known as a tumor. Cytotoxic chemicals can be used to target and then destroy cancerous cells, reducing the size of tumors. This is just one of the potential applications for the compounds discovered by Dr. Baker’s research.
As opposed to most scientists who specialize in one narrow subject, Dr. Baker asserts himself as a generalist, devoting himself to learning and researching across a wide array of subjects, though his primary area of knowledge is marine science. Dr. Baker does research in not only sponges but also in other aquatic life including corals, microbes, fungi, echinoderms as well as the bioactive compounds that originate from these specimens in the form of toxic secondary metabolites.
According to Dr. Bill Baker, “Everything in your backyard has been studied. You have to go out to where the biodiversity is rich.” In order to acquire the samples that Dr. Baker and his team need to conduct their research, the team travels to the icy waters of Antarctica, where the unique ecosystem supports many different species with various defense mechanisms for Baker to examine. The team dives deep into extremely cold waters, where temperatures can range from 34 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit. With the surrounding air up to 70 degrees colder, the team must be ready for the harsh environmental conditions.
Diving in the frigid waters of the arctic is a unique and extremely dangerous experience, with sub-zero temperatures that can have various effects on the body, from shaking to immobility. Shifting environmental elements, such as glacial and iceberg movement and collapsing ice, can also endanger the diver.
During their investigations in the Arctic, Dr. Baker and his team discover many new organisms, along with the effects of the toxic metabolites they release. For example, a recent discovery of a metabolite released by a circumpolar tunicate, a marine filter feeder from the chordate family, known as Synoicum adareanum was found to have negative effects on melanoma, a malignant, cancerous tumor created by melanocytes, primarily caused by constant, severe sun exposure, through a chemical called palmerolide A. This chemical was devoid of cytotoxicity, which was tested on a selectivity index of the most sensitive cancer cells.
Dr. Baker has also worked with an Antarctic starfish called Acodontaster conspicuus. From this starfish, he and his team isolated 19 steroids, 13 of which were new and 6 previously known. The compounds were tested against Antarctic marine bacterium and found to be 50% effective. The potential for these steroids found in sponges, starfish, and other organisms from Antarctica is great. The chemical compounds isolated from each organism have specific functions in helping treat infectious diseases, including limiting bacterial growth and the spread of the disease through the whole body.
While testing red sea sponges near the U.S. Palmer Station in Antarctica, Dr. Baker and his team isolated five new steroids, norselic acids, from the sponge that were found to fight against the parasites of Leishmaniasis and malaria, a disease with 300-500 million reported cases each year, globally, inflicts cold-like symptoms including fever, chills, and in some cases, death. Pyrimidine compounds have been used to try and combat malaria, with new compounds constantly competing against the disease's ever-changing, drug resistant parasites. Dr. Baker and his team focused on one specific compound, 3-pyrimidinedione, and its effects on the malaria parasite, P. Falciparum. Initial screenings found that a compound known as Meridian A was not only active against the malaria parasite, but also cytotoxic at equimolar concentrations towards lung cancer cells.
Although marine products have long been a source of interest for chemists, only 3% of these products emerge from the polar habitats in which Dr. Baker dives. Of his work in the North Pacific, there is an unclassified group of gram positive marine bacterium that produce both antiviral and cytotoxic macrocyclic lactones. Exhibiting antibacterial qualities, as well as significant inhibition of the Herpes virus and melanoma cancer cells, the compound was also effective against viral replication of human HIV cells.
Methodology
Process
After completing the necessary preparations for investigation in Antarctica, Dr. Baker and his team embark to their destination and observe the nature exhibited there. They examine organisms and plants that are very exotic compared to those in the warm waters that surround Florida. Observing the Antarctic marine ecosystem, they try to identify the numerous organisms that use chemistry in some sort of ecological context. Once Dr. Baker and his team collect the desired samples of Antarctic marine life, they come back to the University of South Florida and conduct chemical analyses in the lab. If Dr. Baker and his team find that their collected organisms have chemicals with biological properties, they proceed to conduct numerous studies. The studies conducted have both ecological and pharmacological implications. Chemicals that are capable of being used in pharmaceuticals then go to pharmaceutical companies for further testing and research.
The part of the research process on which Dr. Baker and his team spend the most time is the chemical analyses. There are two types of chemical analyses: qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis. These analyses can take weeks, or even months to complete because several tests have to be run in order to ensure that the organisms do indeed have chemicals with the biological properties that can be utilized in medicinal products. Also, these tests need to be repeated to rule out any chance of experimental error; meaning, the results must coincide with each other. Dr. Baker and his team seek exploration opportunities and begin planning whenever they are presented with an opportunity for research.
Time Frame for Research
Research of any kind can take up several months or even years to complete. For Bill Baker, it has taken approximately 30 years. He began researching as a graduate student at the University of Hawaii in 1982 and is still doing research three decades later. His main interests include marine invertebrates and their contribution to potential pharmaceuticals. While Hawaii was a prime location for Baker’s beginning research on marine life, he now focuses on potential pharmaceuticals that can be found in Antarctica.
During his 30-year research period, Baker has relocated many times from California to Hawaii to Houston and then to Florida, and has been at the University of South Florida for about 10 years now. Although he has only been researching at USF for a decade, he considers all of his research to be continuous and related. Various organisms found and studied can be considered single projects which can take anywhere from 6 months to 6 years depending on the difficulty of the components of the research, but for Baker, the research has taken 30 years due to the fact that every discovery builds upon the next. Once something significant has been found, such as his most famous discovery, Palmerolide A, it must go through a series of tests and clinical trials, which takes about 20 additional years, for its approval in human treatment.
Problems Associated with Research
Many problems can arise during a research project, especially when it is particularly complicated and tedious. For example, the projects Dr. Baker develops are very time consuming, a minor issue, however, compared to contaminating samples or, even worse, losing the samples altogether. The added problem of computer crashes and glitches can also be irritating. Although most researchers have experienced all of these problems over the course of conducting their research, not all have faced the daunting process of crossing the Southern Ocean to get to Antarctica. The journey in total takes about four days: two to reach and cross the Drake Passage and two more to reach the Antarctic Peninsula. When weather is involved, problems are sure to arise. Since one cannot always plan in advance for harsh weather, as well as sea conditions, it can make the journey to Antarctica very stressful, with potential for disaster.
Another problem that arises from traveling to a desolate continent is an inadequate amount of supplies. Baker once said, “There is no corner Wal-Mart in Antarctica,” which means a huge deal of planning must be done before he and his team may even consider leaving to begin the research. Preparations for such a long journey begin about six months prior to departure. If the right amount, or even the right type, of supplies are not in Antarctica once they arrive, it can make their research very difficult to pursue.
Dr. Baker’s lab currently consists of Ph.D. students, PostDocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students. These students are diverse and contribute their unique pasts in order to develop a supportive atmosphere. They play an integral role in the lab by working on projects that personally interest them. Each project consists of two to four undergraduate students who are then managed by an upper level student. Projects vary in location; for example, one project focuses on product isolation in the Everglades, while another focuses on product isolation in Antarctica. The projects are designed to have the more experienced students mentor the less experienced students. Mentoring enables the transfer of knowledge and experience to improve the overall performance of the lab. Dr. Baker is then able to manage and mentor the overall lab by providing help when needed.
The individual responsibilities of undergraduate students differ among each person. Generally, however, the students are expected to commit a certain number of hours to the lab. Their lab duties may vary, but the responsibilities are much more than basic microscope slide cleaning. One student described her experiences using major equipment such as the MPLC (Medium Performance Liquid Chromatography) and HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) as being informative and fulfilling because it allowed for her actual involvement in the research. This equipment permits the students to isolate compounds of interest that may be further analyzed by the upper-level students as a potential medicinal drug.
Some students in the lab work on multiple projects. One project may be under an upper level student, while the second could be an individual project for the undergraduate student. The ability for students to work on two projects prevents the students from quickly “burning out” and, at the same time, allows for them to diversify their education. The diversity in projects and the amount of responsibility given to the students enables them to actively participate in the research and contribute to the final product.
Dr. Baker actively participates in the lab by instructing students and others in their research. He is readily available to his students throughout the week in order to oversee the research being conducted. Students have positively described his approach because it permits them to work openly, while also being supported, which motivates them to work harder and strive to achieve more. The entire lab meets every Friday in order to present what has been accomplished throughout the week; this ritual focuses on the overall goals of the entire research team. Overall, Dr. Baker is described as an open and reasonable persona in the lab and is willing to compromise with his students in order to make a healthy research environment that enables productivity.
Dr. Baker’s research is interdisciplinary and requires collaboration with others; he works with more than just his students by communicating with other professors and other researchers around the nation. Most of the professors with whom he collaborates are biologists because they are able to perform pharmacological screenings, which are essential for his research. Besides biologists, Dr. Baker works with ecologists, systematists, and molecular biologists. All of these positions play a vital role when conducting research because the researchers are studying similar concepts and perform tests that may not be possible on the USF campus.
Facilities
When they are not off traipsing the frigid seas of the Antarctic, Dr. Baker and his team perform the majority of their research here at the University of South Florida (USF), specifically in the Bio-Science Facilities Building. The samples are homogenized in his lab and are then analyzed using the equipment and facilities that USF provides. The facilities that Dr. Baker and his team deem most important are nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers and mass spectrometers. NMR works by placing the nuclei of certain atoms into a static field where a second oscillating magnetic field is introduced. Essentially, the spin of the proton is found and this spin gives off the NMR, which is then recorded and the true analysis of samples can begin. Mass spectrometers function by finding the mass-to-charge ratio of certain compounds. The ions are then identified and through this method, ultimately, the unknown compounds can be identified. These are incredibly important to Dr. Baker’s research because they are beneficial in identifying potential pharmaceuticals from organisms he collects from the Antarctic.
Although Dr. Baker has access to these various facilities, he states that there are “bigger and better” NMR and mass spectrometers. He hopes that, given time, his research may make use of this much more sophisticated equipment, whether that means USF provides this new equipment, or he utilizes equipment from another university.
Impact of Research
Dr. Baker wants to find a thousand new microbes, consisting of fungi and bacteria. With these new samples, he hopes to distribute them to his graduate students for analysis of chemical composition. Michael Veri, a graduate student from Dr. Baker’s lab, explained that the team’s primary goal is to find and isolate novel chemicals that come from the toxic defense mechanisms from rudimentary animals, such as sponges, in order to combat antibiotic resistance and also to combat protozoans that cause malaria.
Dr. Baker’s investigations have produced noteworthy results. While exploring Antarctica, an anti-cancer compound for melanoma was found and analyzed. Studies to date support this compound for going into clinical trial. Also, a potent antiviral protein that prevents viral infection of mammalian cells was discovered. Although the findings are significant, approval for clinical use is a twenty-year process from discovery to development through clinical trials.
Global Impact
Dr. Baker and his research team have made important discoveries and are continuing to research in the fields of pharmaceuticals, which, not only benefit our community, but also humanity as a whole on a global scale. His research team works in a large spectrum of the isolation of pharmaceutical chemicals that are intended to work for diseases ranging from antiviral to antineoplastics to even antiparasitics compounds. One of their primary goals is to identify antineoplastic drugs specifically for melanoma which, if proven successful, could potentially affect approximately 132,000 people who suffer from melanoma skin cancers globally per year.
Bacterial infections and their resistance are also a growing problem. Very infectious and virulent strains of bacteria are being created as a result of antibiotic resistance. Although Dr. Baker’s lab works with many different strains of bacteria, a bacterium of interest is Acinbactor baumani. “A. baumannii has more recently caused a range of infectious syndromes in military personnel injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.” During the interview with graduate student Michael Veri, he commented on this specific strain of bacterium: “On a personal note, I have had the honor to serve my country in the armed forced and I have been a witness of a pathogenic bacterium that has harmed many of my fellow soldiers in Iraq. I hope to also, among these chemicals, find a treatment for the ever growing resistance of this pathogen.”
Antiretroviral research is also a prevalent field of study in Dr. Baker’s Laboratory. The discoveries of such scaffolds could have major positive implications worldwide. The notorious AIDS epidemic in Africa is one of increasing concern. There are approximately 34 million people living with AIDS and 1.8 million deaths from AIDS globally. Due to this, AIDS and HIV research is extremely valuable, as most of the antiretroviral compounds available today are very costly for undeveloped countries such as those in African and have serious side effects on the body.
Another prevalent field of work in Baker’s lab is the isolation of antimalarials. Malaria is a disease that accounts for more than 655,000 yearly deaths of mostly among African children. Although there are effective antimalarials drugs available, these drugs are extremely expensive and therefore are not accessible to many of poverty stricken African countries. Dr. Baker and his research team hope to discover a novel chemical compound that will be cost-effective and accessible to the people in Africa in need of urgent care. According to graduate student Michael Veri, “research in antimalarials is an underrepresented field in the sciences.”
Dr. Baker’s, and his fellow researchers’ work, is indisputably in the process of making major global impacts for the benefit of humanity and the livelihood of people of all different backgrounds who are indiscriminately affected by deleterious diseases.
Impact of Media
Dr. Bill Baker’s research, a complex mix of organic chemistry and biochemistry, is initially something that can easily confuse the general population. However, media coverage on his work and findings helps in the process of explaining the research in a simplistic and understandable way for most of the public, summarizing his work and portraying the overall goal of finding pharmaceuticals in the Antarctic for the lay reader. The media coverage on Dr. Baker is not vast at this point in time simply because his findings have not yet yielded a usable compound for today’s pharmaceutical industries, but coverage that does exist reaches an online community with interest in the fields of Dr. Baker’s research. Baker is also recognized throughout the Tampa Bay area and at the University of South Florida—the home of his research.
The Tampa Bay Tribune online article “USF professors search for cures in polar regions,” written by Lindsay Peterson, speaks about the organism that Dr. Baker, alongside Dennis Kyle from The University of South Florida’s department of Global Health, found that works to fight malaria and other diseases that affect people near and south of the equator. This article also discusses where their findings have been published, including in The Journal of Natural Products which, again, is available to the internet community and those searching for information on such topics. Dr. Baker himself said that he does not expect huge media success from this compound itself, simply because it does not work in congruence with malaria fighting drugs already on the market. However, the discovery of this compound gives him and his team hope in the quest for other disease fighting compounds in Antarctica, and someday in the Arctic.
Furthermore, the media coverage in this article on Dr. Bill Baker goes on to discuss how he gathers his specimens that include sponges and sea stars in the 28 degree Fahrenheit water in Antarctica and what other types of compounds he has discovered in these waters.15 This article also discusses the use of the specimens once they arrive back at the University of South Florida. Once they are in the lab they undergo a long multistep process in order to be tested, but the steps themselves are not analyzed extensively in the article, most likely in order to prevent confusion. This type of work can often be very confusing to the public, but when put into simple terms and ideas the idea of the work can be spoke about quite easily. Grad student Michael Veri stated that “the work and findings are often quite confusing, but once the public understands our goals they have a positive reaction. We are finding cures for them and the diseases that affect the globe such as malaria, cancer, and viruses.” He also shared that at this stage the project does not hurt any types of animals, and Dr. Baker and his team only use naturally-derived chemicals that are made from the corals, sponges, and other specimens, thus making this project one of the “greener” endeavors on the University of South Florida’s campus. These standards alone make the project much more beneficial than harmful in most of the public’s eyes. As stated in the article, Dr. Baker is continuously working to find more compounds to help in the fight of global diseases.
Impact on the Environment
Ecosystems are the grounds on which many life processes occur and are the foundation in which life exists. Due to the importance of ecosystems for humans’ continued existence, the concern of their welfare has been a very controversial topic when discussing environmental economics and the derivation of substances for purposes such as pharmaceuticals. Dr. Baker purposes to derive such substances from the environment. As stated by Michael Veri, the team’s primary goal is “to find and isolate novel chemicals that come from the toxic defense mechanisms from rudimentary animals, such as sponges.” However, the research is conducted in such a manner that the impact on the environment is minimal. Veri claims that “the harvesting do is limited and only remove a minor amount of specimens for collection.” Additionally, they seek permission before collecting any specimens and ensure that they are not endangered. The compounds are all naturally occurring and biologically produced, and no animals are harmed in the process.
Future Plans
From his experience and position in research and education, Dr. Baker has interesting insights on the future of, not only his research, but new trends that have been emerging that could potentially redefine how research itself will be conducted in the future. One insight that is particularly revealing is the fact that “Research is dynamic - it always has and always will adapt to the needs of society.” This viewpoint helps explain how the “intellectual and financial capital” of a society shifts from one area to another. According to Dr. Baker, if there is a major focus on biomedical research, as seen today, it is result of society at large (the media, the general public, the government, corporations, etc.) identifying health issues such as diseases, leading the research to be a more pressing issue than others at the time. Similarly, if there emerges a major push toward developing alternative fuel technologies, this may be due to demand by that same society for ways of combating climate change or to preserve environments.
One trend that is helping coordinate the response of the international community to address issues of global concern is globalization. The vast growth in technology, especially information technology, has allowed for instant communication, information, and verification, helping ensure that challenges to society, such as disease, alternative energy sources, and technology, are overcome or implemented.
==="Omics"===
Of interesting and increasing importance are the innovations brought about by the recent 'omics' advances, which has ushered in new facilities to study natural products in ways that have not been available in the past. The study of omics includes the study of genomics, proteomics, and matabolomics. According to Dr. Baker, the recent ‘revolution’ in omic studies has led to scientists learning so much about the world through discoveries in these newly emphasized fields. These advances are so crucial that Dr. Baker would consider theses discoveries to the study of biological 'systems' (biochemical pathways, organelles, cellular assemblages, organisms, ecological niches, ecosystems…) on the same level as the telescope was to Galileo.
Future Travels
With regards to Dr. Baker’s own research, there is a continued emphasis on “new and innovative ways to bring the 'knowledge' of natural selection to bear on problems facing society today”. Potential applications of these investigations include disease treatment and sustainable agriculture, and an increase in the understanding of how natural products have evolved in biological systems to fit receptors of biological significance. In addition to these ongoing investigations, there are possible plans for Dr. Baker to going to the Arctic and possibly even coastal Africa, as this region represents a largely unexplored territory for marine natural products, with the bonus of a unique cultural traditions that are prevalent there.

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