Going Off the Deep End: Antibiotics and Other Medical Compounds Found in the Sea

Published on: 09.12.2013

The world's oceans are still a great mystery with the almost infinite variety of life forms and environments that abide there. Researchers are exploring various bodies of water hoping to unearth groundbreaking medical advancements. Ocean exploration often leads to new ideas, new theories and discoveries, including new medicines, not to mention compounding.

 "[...] we now recognize more clearly that microbes and larger organisms are an untapped source of genetic diversity, and of compounds that can be important to human and animal health."-Frank Koehn (researcher for the pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer), Researchers explore seas and oceans to discover novel antibiotics and other medical compounds

The Sea BioTech project's aim is to find raw material for the world's biotechnology industry, with a particular emphasis on antibiotics and other medical compounds reports Brian McNeil (coordinator for Sea BioTech, University in Scotland, UK). The interest in compounds is for the use of additives for cosmetics, for wound healing, nutritional supplements, pesticides, etc. There are already anticancer drugs in use that were discovered in the marine environment.

An astounding 95 percent of the ocean has yet to be explored. Technology is advancing and allowing scientists to venture deeper into the bounding main. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has partnered with scientists in an attempt to find marine organisms with chemical compounds capable of treating human diseases. The NOAA's ship Okeanos Explorer seeks out and collects ocean specimens for potential medical and economic benefits.

The future of marine science is optimistic. It is said that drugs from the ocean are without question one of the most promising new directions of marine science today. Contact us to learn more about our scientific know-how in compounding equipment.