Micro-organisms in the world’s oceans could produce cancer cures and antibiotics, according to researchers.
Academics at Strathclyde University are leading the SeaBioTech project to uncover chemicals and compounds in the sea which could be used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and industrial chemistry industries.
The four-year project, headed by Professor Brian McNeil, has been awarded £6.3 million in EU funding.
The biodiversity of the oceans and seas is known to be far greater than that on land but scientists know relatively little about its potential resources.
Professor McNeil, of the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, said: “We’re looking to identify new products from the marine environment, such as antibiotics and find ways to sustainably manufacture them.”
