A groundbreaking research initiative is set to explore the untapped medicinal potential of marine sponges found at Busselton Jetty, with the goal of identifying new lead candidates for cancer treatment options.
Led by Dr Darren Holland from The University of Western Australia’s School of Molecular Sciences, the project aims to investigate the unique compounds produced by the ancient organisms, contributing to the fight against cancer.
Dr Holland, who recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the United States, is working with Associate Professors Heng Chooi and Gavin Flematti from UWA and Busselton Jetty CEO Lisa Shreeve in the unique collaboration.
With expertise in marine invertebrate chemistry and drug discovery, Dr Holland said that natural products, the focus of the study, were molecules produced by nature that played vital roles in defence, communication and adaptation among organisms.
