A team of international scientists has successfully cloned marine DNA in a breakthrough it says will provide promising “drugs from the sea” to treat cancer and viral diseases. The team, working at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), says the cloning of DNA from marine organisms like sponges and sea squirts in E. coli bacteria could provide a sustainable supply of marine-derived pharmaceuticals.AIMS called the breakthrough a “world-first achievement” that would eliminate supply obstacles that have stalled the development of many promising drugs.
