The overall goal of the study is to find and identify  the secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes from mangrove microorganisms, establishing the scientific basics for the discovery and exploitation of new biologically active compounds.
Specific goals:
- Screening for the endophytic bacterial strains with antibiotic and cytotoxic activity from Rhizophora stylosa Griff and Rhizophora apiculata Blume.
- Determine the chemical composition and biological activity of the compounds isolated from the selected bacterial strain.
- Genome sequencing and annotation of the secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes from the selected bacterial strains.

Theoretical results:
- The project isolated 144 endophytic bacterial strains from two species of the mangrove plants Rhizophora stylosa Griff and Rhizophora apiculata Blume. In which, 40 strains exhibited antimicrobial activity, 09 strains exhibited cytotoxic activity against at least one of cancer cell lines MCF-7, A549 and Hela, 31 strains exhibited antioxidant activity, 29 strains exhibited α-amylase, α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, and 23 strains exhibited xanthine oxidase inhibitory activitie.
- The project isolated and purified six secondary compounds from culture broth of Bacillus altitudinis RAR-M1-44 and elucidated the structures of 5 compounds, including 2-(2-heptenyl)-3-methyl-4- quinolinone (1), 3-methyl-2-(2-nonenyl)-4-quinolinone (2), 2-phenylacetic acid (3), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (4) and (-)-jasmonic acid (5).
The project evaluated antimicrobial activity, cytotoxic activity, and α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of the isolated compounds. Additionally, applied the molecular docking tools and QSARIS to simulate the interaction between the isolate compounds and α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes.
- The project sequenced and annotated the secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes from the genomes of five bacterial strains Bacillus hwajinpoensis RAR-GA-16, Bacillus altitudinis RSS-NA-20, Bacillus altitudinis RAR- M1-44, Rossellomorea vietnamensis RAR-WA-32, and Bacillus infantis RAR-M1-44. Among them, many biosynthetic genes of unknown or novel secondary compounds were identified.
Applied results:
The research results of the project will contribute to establishing the scientific basics for development of the heterologous expression of the biosynthetic genes of novel biologically active compounds to produce potential pharmacological agents and apply them in the field of medicine, pharmacy, and community health care.

- The project isolated, screened and purified the active compounds from endophytic bacterial strains from the mangrove plants Rhizophora stylosa and Rhizophora apiculata.
- The project applied the molecular docking and QSARIS tools to simulate the interaction between the isolated compounds with α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes.
- The project applied the next generation sequencing technology and bioinformatic tools to sequence the genome and annotate the biosynthetic genes of secondary metabolites from the genomes of the bioactive strains.

- Scientific papers in referred journals (list):
Ton That Huu Dat, Phung Thi Thuy Oanh, Le Canh Viet Cuong, Le Tuan Anh, Le Thi Hong Minh, Hoang Ha, Le Tung Lam, Pham Viet Cuong, Hoang Le Tuan Anh (2021). Pharmacological Properties, Volatile Organic Compounds, and Genome Sequences of Bacterial Endophytes from the Mangrove Plant Rhizophora apiculata Blume. Antibiotics 10(12), 1491. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10121491.
Ton That Huu Dat, Le Canh Viet Cuong, Phung Thi Thuy Oanh, Nguyen Phuc Khanh Nhi, Hoang Le Tuan Anh, Phan Tu Quy, Thanh Q. Bui, Nguyen Thanh Triet, Nguyen Thi Ai Nhung. The study on biological activity and molecular docking of secondary metabolites from Bacillus sp. isolated from the mangrove plant Rhizophora apiculata. Regional Studies in Marine Science (In press). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2022.102583.
Ton That Huu Dat, Phung Thi Thuy Oanh, Vu Thi Thanh Tam, Hoang Le Tuan Anh (2019). Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of bacterial endophytes isolated from leaves of the mangrove plant Rhizophora stylosa. Academia Journal of Biology, 41(4): 91-99. https://doi.org/10.15625/0866-7160/v41n4.14675
Ton That Huu Dat, Phung Thi Thuy Oanh (2021). In vitro antioxidant, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of endophytic bacteria from the roots of the mangrove plant Rhizophora stylosa Griffith. Academia Journal of Biology, 43(3), 125–135. https://doi.org/10.15625/2615-9023/16143.
- Patents (list):
- Technological products (describe in details: technical characteristics, place): Final report and published articles
- Other products (if applicable): Support for training 01 bachelor and 01 master students

Further investigation on the biosynthetic genes of secondary metabolites and purify novel bioactive compounds from endophytic microorganisms (bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi) from other potential mangrove plants.
Development of the heterologous expression systems for the novel secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes.