Biopharm - Isolation of bioactive compounds from cyanobacteria

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.