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“Pharmacies from the sea”: Prof. Maren Ziegler, Professor of Holobiont Biology at JLU and project manager at the former LOEWE Center TBG, researches the enormous potential of microbial commun
An international study led by ETH Zurich has yielded astonishing results: A research team including Prof. Ziegler collected around 800 coral samples from 99 reefs in the Pacific Ocean during an expedition aboard the research vessel 'Tara'. The study revealed that over 99 percent of the bacteria and archaea detected were previously unknown. Particularly exciting is the fact that the genomes of the newly discovered microorganisms contain an extraordinary diversity of blueprints for natural products – a previously untapped treasure trove of potential active ingredients.
"Our study demonstrates the enormous potential of coral reefs as bioresources," says Prof. Ziegler. "However, corals and the reef habitats they create are directly threatened by climate change. The loss of the reefs also endangers the associated microbial community. The window of opportunity to tap into these bioresources could close rapidly. Therefore, decisive action on climate protection is necessary to preserve these fragile habitats."
This is also one of the reasons why the new expedition 'Tara Coral' is currently underway, once again heading to the Pacific Ocean. Prof. Ziegler is one of the scientific coordinators of the 18-month mission.