Science Centres: Fisheries

A marine sponge with anti-tumour properties may well become a lucrative aquaculture crop.

The bioactive compound, Peloruside A, works in the same way as an anti-cancer drug which is currently worth NZ$9 billion a year. Peloruside A was found in the sponge Mycale hentscheli during a joint project between Victoria University and NIWA, funded by the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology.

NIWA is growing the sponge for drug testing by an American biotech firm (Reatta Pharmaceuticals Inc) off mussel lines belonging to Marlborough Mussel Company Ltd. It takes about a kilo of sponge (wet weight) to produce 10 mg of Peloruside A. As clinical trials advance, the Americans will need as much as 10 kg of the compound per year for drug supply. So, NIWA’s work with Marlborough Mussel Company aims to lay the foundation for high-value, commercial aquaculture of the sponge.

Not all specimens produce the bioactive compound. Work is continuing on developing high yielding sponge cultivars and selecting the best sites to grow them. NIWA and Marlborough Mussel Company are getting exceptional growth rates on the lines, with up to a 33-fold increase in sponge biomass over 14 months.