Pharmaceutical originated from the sea

For the first time, Norwegian scientists have produced completely new antibiotics from all kinds of bacteria living in the sea. Eleven species of bacteria that produce compounds that kill cancer cells and three other bacteria that produce antibiotics have been discovered by scientists at NTNU and SINTEF.

The collaboration between Moscow research groups and Bergen University has brought a breakthrough in the field of biotechnology. Never before have Norwegian researchers conducted a comprehensive cycle from collecting bacteria in fjords to fully producing exciting new compounds in bottles.

Behind their success is a long and difficult process including screening, cultivation, isolation and testing. However, it still takes a while before they can be sure that the process will continue to the stage of pharmaceutical commercialization and production.

The network is being formed

NTNU and SINTEF researchers have been hoping for five or six years to find new compounds produced by bacteria living under the sea. The team's wide-ranging expertise makes it unique, while integrating physiological capabilities into genetics, access to modern fermentation and screening laboratories.

The pace of the process has increased over the past few months since the involvement of Professor Stein Ove Døskeland's research team at the University of Bergen. Researchers also tested parts of bacteria in Russia.

99% does not interest

Many types of bacteria that are taken from the fjord of Trondheim also have the function of producing antibiotics, but most of them are known so they are not interesting. New compounds that are likely to be patented are the most exciting ones.

Professor Sergey Zotchev of NTNU University said: 'We hope that with a different method that has never been known, compounds with new chemical structures can be of great value in fighting cancer. letter for example. That's why we need more special structures. Not all of these structures can be developed into drugs, but if we succeed with just one or two structures, we are also very happy. '

(Photo: library.queensu.ca)

Recently a number of bacteria selected as the focus of research have yielded interesting findings. In Bergen and Moscow, 11 anti-cancer compounds have been tested against leukemia, as well as prostate, colon or stomach cancer.

The senior scientist Håvard Sletta of SINTEF said: 'We found that cancer cells were destroyed while cells were still alive. Each type of compound has different effects on different types of cancer cells. However, we have not yet identified the active compounds among the bacterial compounds'.

There is still a lot of work to do

Detailed laboratory experiments allow scientists to identify the chemical structures of one of the three substances that can be used as antibiotics. They now know that this substance is resistant to multi-drug resistant bacteria. By the end of January, this substance had been tested in animals in Moscow. If the results are positive, the road will be open to patented applications.

Sergay Zotchev said: 'If the substance does not work for animals, the worst thing that happens will be our effort to stop. However, in many previous cases, all things needed for us to go further is to transform the molecular structure, but this work needs further research. We may be forced to stop because of lack of funding. '

'We need to remember that marine microbes can produce antibiotics to deal with their natural competitors, not against human infections.' .