SELF-defence chemicals produced by a sponge could be used as anti-fungal
drugs, say researchers in Florida. They hope the chemicals could be used against
the growing army of drug-resistant infections.
Peter McCarthy of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Florida and his
team scoured the seas for new anti-fungal drugs. They collected samples of
sponges and other invertebrates from waters down to depths of 1 kilometre. “Once
you get to deep water, you’re dealing with a lot of organisms that have never
been seen by science,” says McCarthy.
After identifying the samples, McCarthy and his team prepared chemical
extracts which they…
