THE ROLE OF AQUACULTURE IN SUSTAINABLE MARINE DRUG DISCOVERY -ADVANTAGES AND CURRENT CHALLENGES

摘要

There is growing evidence that marine organisms hold great potential for the discovery of new bioactive natural products that can be used to develop new drugs and therapeutants. However, one of the current drawbacks along the pipeline of drug discovery is the potential need of large amounts of biomass, which is often harvested from wild populations. This unsustainable process creates significant conservation issues and is no longer allowed in several regions. Furthermore, the collection of a target marine organism may be extremely complex and expensive, such as those inhabiting the deep sea or polar ecosystems.