University of Florida News

Reef algae video

Supers:
Long Key, FL
Dr. Hendrik Luesch/UF drug discovery researcher

AS B-P OFFICIALS SCRAMBLE TO CONTAIN THE OIL SPILL AND SAVE THE GULF COAST LINE FROM FURTHER CONTAMINATION, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCHERS ARE WORKING ON A ‘SAVE’ OF THEIR OWN. RESEARCHERS ARE COLLECTING CYANOBACTERIA OR BLUE–GREEN ALGAE FROM SENSITIVE CORAL REEFS JUST OFF SHORE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. THE REEFS SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE FROM THE COLD WINTER AND NOW COULD FACE FURTHER DAMAGE FROM THE OIL THAT IS SPREADING AROUND THE GULF OF MEXICO. U-F RESEARCHERS ARE WORKING TO COLLECT AS MANY DIFFERENT SAMPLES OF THE ALGAE AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF RECENT FINDINGS THAT THE ALGAE MAY HELP CURE DISEASES.

Luesch: “These organisms over grow corals and we and others have shown that they produce interesting compounds that have drug like properties that may be exploited by biomedical purposes such as anti-cancer drugs and others.” (:16)

EXPERTS CONSIDER THE OCEAN AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE FOR DRUG DISCOVERY. DAMAGE FROM THE OIL CONTAMINATION COULD LEAD TO THE LOSS OF POTENTIAL CURES FOR MANY DISEASES.

Luesch: “All the marine biodiversity that is effected ultimately or can be effected by this oil spill and it endangers a number of species here in the Florida Keys and consequently the marine drug discovery efforts that are going on by our groups and other groups in this area of the United States.” (:19)

CURRENTLY ONLY TWO DRUGS ARE AVAILABLE THAT WERE DEVELOPED FROM MARINE RESEARCH WITH ANOTHER FOURTEEN DRUGS THAT ARE IN CLINICAL TRIALS. U-F RESEARCHERS HOPE TO ADD TO THAT NUMBER WHEN THEY START TESTING THEIR LATEST FINDS. AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, I AM CHRIS BILOWICH.

Note: Downloadable videos are encoded at 720x486 using the Photo-JPEG codec. Audio is encoded at 44.1 kHz and unmixed.