Spanish researchers are diving into a different world, off the Spanish island of Ibiza. On a 36-metre-deep underwater slope, they are searching for treasure – but not pirate gold or mineral wealth. As they search between purple corals, they finally find what they are looking for: a pale yellow, semi-transparent creature that looks (see below) rather like a lump of fatty brain tissue. It appears unremarkable, and wouldn’t be of interest to recreational divers. But it fascinates the Spanish researchers, who know that this creature is potentially worth millions. And that’s because the creature’s cells carry potent drugs that might offer the hope of cures for everything from cancer to COVID-19.
The wobbly yellow lump is just one single example of the huge potential of medicines that can be created based on the DNA of
