Marine microbiota for the development of antitumor drugs

The study of marine microorganisms is a highly innovative area of research within the field of natural products chemistry, yielding excellent results in the identification of new chemical entities with potential pharmacological applications. Marine microorganisms represent enormous potential for the discovery of new bioactive substances, with the advantage of being a sustainable, renewable, and easily manipulated source. This allows for the development of large-scale fermentation cultures to obtain substances of interest at a reasonable cost, even on an industrial scale. Fermentation processes for obtaining drugs are the preferred method of choice for pharmaceutical companies compared to other methodologies such as chemical synthesis, particularly when dealing with naturally occurring compounds. These compounds generally possess complex chemical structures, which complicates their synthesis and considerably increases production costs. Conversely, fermentation is the most economical route, as it shortens both production processes and time to market. Based on its great potential, this project is geared towards the discovery and development of new antitumor substances of interest to the pharmaceutical industry, taking as its starting point the biodiversity of the marine microbiota of the Canary Islands. The main objective is to identify new lead compounds for the development of high-value-added compounds—compounds that could become potential therapeutic agents or biological tools for discovering new modes of action. This project is being developed in collaboration with the Marine Products group at the University of La Laguna and with the support of Pharmamar, SA, a leading company in the marine biotechnology market. It aims to position the Canary Islands, and Tenerife in particular, as a benchmark for research in blue biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry.

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ULL Team

• Ana Raquel Díaz Marrero
• Manuel Norte Martín