Shirley Pomponi of FAU has previously created a marine sponge cell culture to develop sponge cell lines and rapid division. These findings are now being applied to 3D culture cells, which will help ramp up production of sponge biomass and bioactive metabolites to be used in pharmaceuticals.

“Because of their cellular organization, sponges can be dissociated into cells that will reaggregate and differentiate to form a functional sponge. Moreover, cell culture allows us to precisely control environmental variables and select or optimize conditions that favor increased production of biomass and/or bioactive metabolites,” said Pomponi.

• Peter McCarthy
• Paul Wills
• Shirley Pomponi