£157k marine science project to begin Down Under
New ways of looking at how to extract natural medicinal substances from marine sources, with the potential to treat cancer and arthritis, is to be the focus of a groundbreaking research project being led by the University of Aberdeen .
Professor Marcel Jaspars, who works in the Chemistry Department at the University, has been awarded more than £157,000 from the Leverhulme Trust to help find a molecular approach to access natural products from marine sources which it is hoped may be marketed in the future.
The two-year project is being started by Professor Jaspars during his sabbatical at the Australian Institute of Marine Science and will involve looking at sustainable ways to produce novel compounds with pharmaceutical properties from marine organisms.
Naturally-derived drugs play a dominant part in the health care of 80% of the world's population and the market for plant-derived drugs is worth £23 billion annually.
Industry is showing renewed interest in this field and investigations are focusing on organisms and micro-organisms from new and extreme environments.
Professor Jaspars, who has over 10 years experience in the area of potential drugs from marine invertebrates, said: “I am delighted to receive such a significant amount of funding from the Leverhulme Trust which will go a very long way in our endeavours to try to find new ways to produce pharmaceuticals.
“Myself and the collaborators involved in the project are working on finding sustainable methods for the production of compounds from seasquirts, sponges and soft corals with the potential to treat cancer and arthritis.”
The research project will involve collaboration with Professor Jörg Feldmann, who also works in the Chemistry Department at the University of Aberdeen, along with Dr Paul Long, from the London School of Pharmacy, and Drs Chris Battershill and Walt Dunlap, from the Australian Institute of Marine Science. The project will begin next month (October 1, 2004).
The team involved in this new area of research will be working on seasquirts, primitive vertebrates that filter seawater for nutrition.
The seasquirt the team will use as a model animal for these studies resembles green candle wax dripping from the coral reef, but in reality, it's a filter-feeding animal. These animals are halfway between true invertebrates (sponges, molluscs) and vertebrates (birds, humans, etc) and their genetics clearly shows this.
They are also prolific producers of interesting chemical compounds, particularly those made from modified amino acids. Some of these compounds may be valuable one day as pharmaceuticals, but what hampers their exploitation is obtaining a large enough quantity.
Professor Jaspars, added: “During the current sabbatical we will be able to get a good head start. This is due to the close proximity of the organisms needed, the commitment and expertise of Dr Chris Battershill, Dr Walt Dunlap and Dr Paul Long and the excellent molecular biology and chemistry facilities at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. The work will then be continued when we return back to the UK with the assistance of funding from the Leverhulme Trust.”