Bill Baker, PhD, director of the USF Center for Drug Discovery and Innovation, led the research team that retrieved the marine invertebrate from the frigid Antarctic waters.
The team discovered the sponge extract, known as Dendrilla membranosa, produces a natural chemical. They rearranged the chemical composition of the sponge extract, calling the new chemical “darwinolide.” Laboratory tests found the rearranged chemical could eliminate more than 98 percent of MRSA cells.
“We suggest that darwinolide may present a highly suitable scaffold for the development of urgently needed, novel antibiofilm-specific antibiotics,” concluded Dr. Baker.
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