The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly focusing its attention on the wide variety of natural substances developed in the form of secondary metabolites in microorganisms. Marine algae in particular contain a significant, untapped resource in the shape of chemical structures with the potential to play a major part in the development of innovative medications.
The project examined potential applications of constituents of blue-green algae in medical research on the treatment of chronic inflammations and cancer.
The project involved purification of secondary metabolites from cyanobacteria using state-of-the-art chromatography processes and characterisation by means of mass spectrometry. The different fractions were then examined using human cell-culture models to identify their impact on inflammation processes and on cancer.
The project was co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund.