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FLORIDA FRONTIERS Exploring Unknown Deep-Sea Biomedical Resources MISSION DISPATCH 7 • May 30, 2004 Dispatch by Mark Schrope - @Sea Photo-Journalist Last night and tonight we ran the only full night dives of the trip, so that FAU's Dr. Frank Mari could search deep waters for the nocturnal cone snails. These animals produce compounds with serious proven medical applications and in all likelihood many yet to be discovered ones. Nobody has ever 
attempted to collect them using a submersible, so nobody knew if the team would be able to find the elusive snails. In the past, scientists have collected
deep species by dragging trawl nets, a hit-or-miss prospect at best that is far more intrusive than working with the sub.
Recovering the sub at night is always a remarkable sight, but last night we had the added excitement of wondering if the team would return with the elusive cone snails, or if the dive was a bust. At night, watching off the bow of the ship, you first see the returning sub as an expanding circle of light in the distance, like an alien craft rising from the deep. Finally the sub is at the surface, surrounded by its own bright lights. The ship shines a powerful floodlight on it then moves past for the recovery. On deck we all rush the front of the sub and see...lots of cone snails in the buckets, and a very pleased Frank Mari emerging from the front sphere with a big grin after a successful mission. Everyone compliments him on the catch and he points out that it was a team effort that relied heavily on the piloting skills of Phil Santos, who had to catch the snails with the sub's manipulator arm while still driving the vehicle and operating the video camera. Anton Oleinik, another researcher from FAU, was in the sub's aft chamber and he was responsible for spotting a number of the 15 total cone snails gathered that night. 
With the buckets in the lab, Mari started taking a closer look. "I didn't imagine they were going to be this big," he said, "They're massive." Past snails collected had been only half the size of the largest ones collected that night. Three of the 15 snails Mari believes are record size for the species captured, Conus villepini. The tally for tonight's dive was 10, all of the same species. For both dives, the team targeted areas where they had previously collected cone snails while dredging, but they had no idea what the habitat looked like because they hadn't yet seen it. Mari describes what they found as a deepwater desert of mostly sand. "No sponges, no corals, nothing pretty," he says, but that was fine because they found what they were looking for. The cone snails were sparse, but in three hours they collected what would have normally taken three days of dredging. They also got the chance to film the deepwater species on the prowl looking for prey for the first time. 
Mari's interest in cone snails is the potent, complex venom they use to kill prey such as small fish and worms. Some species can even kill people, but not
the species from Florida, which everyone handles in the lab without fear. That killing potential is in fact what first drew scientists to the venom, because
when the snails kill people they do it painlessly.
As it turns out, the venom, which can contain up to 300 individual components, acts on the neurological systems of prey and on humans. The most powerful painkiller currently available, called Prialt, is derived from cone snail venom, as are several drugs under development for treating diseases such as epilepsy. Mari and his team search for new components in the venom of cone snails that show new pharmaceutical potential. He and his colleagues have already begun filing patents on compounds they have discovered that are showing the most promise, but to continue and complete their studies they need more material to work with, which is where the sub dives came in. 
Chemicals from the species collected have already proven interesting in the laboratory. Preliminary tests in Mari's lab have found they contain the amino
acid leucine chemically altered in a way that has never been seen before in any animal and that could very likely have important biochemical effects. It's too
early to say, but the compounds found could have applications for treating pain, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and strokes.
With the new samples Mari says he will now be able to confirm the early results. His team will also be able to do bioassays to determine more specifically what biological effects chemical compounds from the snail's venom have so that they can begin the long process of homing in on the potential benefits. SPHERE EXPERIENCE: DR. LYNDON WEST, DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, FAU 
Being able to go down in the Johnson-Sea-Link I (JSLI)
submersible to collect on the bottom of the ocean was an experience of a lifetime. Watching the needle of the depth gauge creep
past 2000 feet was almost unbelievable. What was even more amazing was the abundance of life down deep. It was truly remarkable to experience this life
first-hand. It was like flying around on the surface of a different planet. I was also fully aware of the skill of the pilot who was maneuvering the sub on this
foreign surface. I am truly indebted to his skill and expertise of the sub team that made the dive possible. The use of the submersible gave me a unique
opportunity to collect organisms such as sponges, corals, and gorgonians that could not be collected any other way. Hopefully the collections made on this
cruise and the research carried out back in the laboratory can facilitate the discovery of potential cures for diseases.
Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology The Center of Excellence was created with $10 million in state funding in 2003. It is based at FAU and combines the expertise of Harbor Branch, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University, the Smithsonian Marine Station at Ft. Pierce, and several private companies. The overall goal for the Center of Excellence is to promote the discovery, development, and commercialization in Florida of new medicines and other products. Center funding is intended as seed money to further expand Florida's emerging marine biotechnology industry over the next two years with the goal of attracting longer-term funding from federal and commercial sources. Besides funding one expedition per year, Center of Excellence money is being used to:
2) design and build a high-definition camera system that can be carried on an AUV to map new seafloor sites 3) to purchase equipment that will greatly enhance member institutions' ability to rapidly and accurately analyze the pharmaceutical potential of new chemical compounds.  |  |
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