Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 7260 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 6 B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 61 designed cinder blocks along the Florida shoreline to create a habitat for oysters to grow. “We made an oyster bar and reef technically in an area where there wouldn’t naturally be one,” said Baker, who recently graduated from VSU with dual degrees in biology and chemistry. “They are approximately 60 feet long by 10 feet wide, and oysters started growing to full size in about 12 months, and normally it can take up to 36 months.” Manning and his team currently have 200 concrete pieces in the Gulf of Mexico (with a permit from the state of Florida.) The next step involves developing a prototype for a large- scale restoration. Drugs from the Sea Manning said that while the green technology reef project continues to move forward, his primary research focus is on what he calls “drugs from the sea.” Producing pharmaceuticals from the sea is a method that involves growing biofilms or bacterial mats in the ocean to develop new pharmaceuticals to use in research for tuberculosis (TB), cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. “The work with oysters started with our pharmaceuticals from the ocean project,” Manning said. “This has given rise, directly and indirectly, to a dozen cancer drugs that have entered preclinical trials at the National Cancer Institute.” These preclinical trials also include another five antibiotic complexes for TB and resistant strains of the bacterial disease and several papers on the experimental Alzheimer’s drug bryostatin. Manning explains that TB is an increasing worldwide health concern due to the drug-resistant strains of TB primarily in other countries. “The number of TB patients in the U.S. is very low; however, there are cases that come from other countries,” Manning explained. “It is a form of national security; we cannot have people showing up with a drug- resistant strain of TB.” For more than 15 years, Manning and his students have harvested sediment from the Gulf Coast for research on various natural drugs, including bryostatin. Manning takes the collected sediment back to the laboratory for processing and purification. Bryostatin is then extracted from the marine organism bryozoa. Collecting the bryozoa can be a cumbersome project, as it takes approximately 14 tons of harvested bryozoa to obtain one ounce of bryostatin. “Bryostatin is the first drug to show a reversal of Alzheimer’s disease. The Rockefeller Foundation has a patent on this, but it cost over $10 million per gram,” Manning said. “It is very difficult and complex to synthesize in the lab and in very low abundance from natural sources.” Manning and his students have been using biofilms to grow bryostatin much more efficiently than current methods. “What we are doing now is a broad culturing technique,” Baker said. “We are trying to get pure bryostatin. They can produce it synthetically, but it can take up to a year to make 10 milligrams, and it is very costly.” Plummer explains that once they collect the sediment samples, they add different nutrients to feed the bacteria and produce bryostatin. “Many people try to grow bacteria in a lab, but the rule of thumb is you cannot grow marine bacteria in the lab because once you take it out of the ocean, they [bacteria] die,” Manning said. “Most of our success is in the Gulf of Mexico where we are trying to farm the ocean.” Manning and his students currently have four compounds in preclinical trials at the National Institutes of Health and are receiving encouraging data on research related to developing new pharmaceuticals to use for TB, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. PHOTO: PAUL LEAVY The Nashville South Jams Concert is getting the band back together. The River, a local favorite from the past, will headline the concert Oct. 22 at the Horse Creek Winery. In the spring of 1994, a group of local musicians, many from Berrien County, got together for a good old fashion jam session, which became the start of the country music band known as The River. The group went on to tour and establish a loyal fan base, especially in South Georgia. The Nashville South Jams Concert will feature members of the original band—Todd Griffin (lead vocals), Matt Hughes (bass guitar), Patrick Best (drums), Wally Colwell (guitar), and Henry McGill (lead guitar and vocals). The concert will also include Valdosta-based musician Blake Brown and Georgia native Brent Browning. “It has been more than 12 years since those of us that started the band played together,” Griffin said. “While we enjoyed playing all around the region and separately in other groups, we are really excited to bring the original group back together to play for our hometown during Nashville South Jams.” The idea to create a country music-featured event evolved from recommendations provided by a team of tourism experts from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Tourism Division. In 2015, the state’s Tourism Product Development Team visited Berrien County to evaluate the potential for tourism growth and development through creative and Nashville is Getting Ready for some Southern Jams unique experiences based on the area’s local culture and heritage. “The team visited several historical and agritourism sites, as well as interviewed members of the community,” said Crissy Staley, executive director of the Berrien County Chamber of Commerce. “Their recommendations covered a broad spectrum of ideas including music, art, history, agritourism, as well as historic preservation. The chamber and Nashville Main Street boards reviewed the recommendations and are working to incorporate the ones we feel we can fund at this time.” Earlier this year, the Berrien County Chamber of Commerce and Nashville Main Street applied for and received a Tourism Product Development Grant, awarded through the GDEcD Tourism Division, to help jump-start the Nashville South Jams Concert. Staley noted that Berrien County has hosted several concerts in the past, especially in conjunction with the annual Harvest Festival held in September; however, the Nashville South Jams Concert is a “re-branding” of recent events. “The Berrien County Chamber of Commerce and Nashville Main Street host several events throughout the year, and our focus is always on attracting visitors to our community, not only to come enjoy our event but to also shop and dine with our local merchants,” Staley said. “The chamber and Nashville Main Street have a long history of working together. The partnership is constant and transparent.” Nashville South Jams Concert October 22, Horse Creek Winery, 2873 Highway 76 West Nashville, Georgia Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Music starts at 7 p.m. General admissions tickets $15 per person in advance, $20 night of the event For more information, contact the Berrien County Chamber of Commerce 229-686-5123 berrienchamber.com B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 61