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At marine stations, researchers study diverse marine organisms, uncovering adaptations that could unlock new insights into human health.
The ocean has long been humanity’s hidden laboratory. From starfish that revealed the secrets of immunity to jellyfish that gave us glowing proteins, marine life has powered over a dozen Nobel Prizes and countless medical breakthroughs. This article dives into how sea creatures, sponges, snails, squids, and more are shaping the future of medicine in extraordinary ways.
When most people think about the ocean, they imagine sandy beaches, ships sailing, or penguins taking a dip in the Southern Ocean. Far fewer realise that marine organisms have been at the heart of some of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the past century. From Nobel Prize-winning discoveries to cutting-edge molecular tools, the ocean has quietly been shaping the future of medicine. Over thirteen Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Chemistry have stemmed from research on aquatic organisms. In 1882, studies on starfish larvae led to the discovery of phagocytosis, the process by which specific cells engulf bacteria or other particles for defence. This finding laid the groundwork for modern immunology.
Bionote
Alicia L. Bruzos is a molecular biologist specialising in evolutionary biology and cancer genomics. She obtained her PhD in Molecular Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), where she investigated the evolution of bivalve transmissible cancers. Then, she pursued two postdoctoral positions: one in the United Kingdom on precision medicine, and another in France funded by the Marie Skłodowska- Curie Actions, focusing on marine bivalves. In September 2025, she joined the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen (Germany) as a junior group leader with a Minerva Fast Track Fellowship. Her research combines evolutionary biology, genomics, and marine sciences to uncover the mechanisms driving cancer emergence and propagation. She is also dedicated to science communication, particularly on the biomedical potential of marine life.
From the ocean to the laboratory: marine organisms provide essential tools and reveal fundamental mechanisms that drive biomedical discovery.
From anaphylaxis to GFP
In the early 20th century, research on cnidarians led to another Nobel Prize-winning discovery. During an expedition, scientists studied the painful stings caused by the Portuguese man o’ war. They found that repeated exposure to small doses of venom made animals more sensitive instead of immune, a reaction they called anaphylaxis. This finding laid the foundations of modern allergy research. Half a century later, a Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of green fluorescent protein (GFP), originally extracted from a jellyfish. GFP revolutionised biomedical science by allowing researchers to visualise processes that were previously invisible, such as the spread of cancer cells or the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Key to biomedicine lays in ocean
Another example comes from squid: their giant axons enabled scientists to understand how electrical impulses are transmitted in neurons, fundamentally shaping neuroscience. Sea urchin eggs, meanwhile, provided key insights into the cell cycle, helping to unravel how cells divide, a discovery that continues to guide cancer research today. Beyond Nobel Prize discoveries, many other studies on marine organisms have revolutionised our understanding of biomedicine. The gulf toadfish, for instance, has been a model for studying urea excretion, clarifying how animals regulate toxic nitrogen waste. Similarly, the European green crab provided insights into sodium transport systems, which are analogous to those found in the human kidney. Studies on the American eel revealed how kidneys adapt to dramatic changes in salinity as the fish migrates between freshwater and seawater, offering parallels to human kidney function under stress.
Cool survival strategies
In the icy waters of the Antarctic, polar icefish produce antifreeze proteins that prevent their blood from freezing. These molecules have inspired advances in cryopreservation, a technique to store cells and embryos at extremely low temperatures without damage. In surgery, adhesives inspired by proteins secreted by mussels to attach to rocks are now being used as medical glues.
Marine microbes have also been a goldmine for biomedical science. A luminous bacterium was central to the discovery of quorum sensing, the process by which bacteria communicate and coordinate behaviour depending on their population density. This opened new avenues for developing strategies to disrupt harmful bacterial communication. An archaeon thriving in deep- sea hydrothermal vents yielded the highly accurate Vent DNA polymerase, used for DNA amplification in genomic research, including the Human Genome Project.
Immunity, treatment and painkillers
Even lesser-known species have provided remarkable clues. The oyster toadfish has been used to study the inner ear and balance mechanisms, contributing to our knowledge of human equilibrium and vertigo. The star ascidian has offered unique insights into how blood cells interact with sperm, shedding light on immune recognition processes relevant to both reproduction and transplant biology.
The ocean is also a rich reservoir of bioactive compounds. More than a thousand substances isolated from marine organisms have demonstrated antiviral or anticancer activity. One striking case involves a tunicate found in shallow waters off the Balearic Islands. Researchers identified a molecule with strong anti-tumour activity, now synthesised in laboratories and approved as a treatment for certain blood cancers. Another milestone came from a Caribbean sponge, which provided the chemical basis for AZT, one of the first effective treatments against HIV. Pain management has also benefited from marine life: a small Caribbean cone snail produces venom that paralyses its prey, and a synthetic derivative of one of its venom components has proven to be a painkiller more effective than morphine, but with fewer side effects.
Focus on the sea
Why turn to the ocean when humans live on land? The sea is the cradle of life on our planet, hosting organisms with unique adaptations. Studying these adaptations helps us uncover novel biological mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Despite its proven impact, marine biology remains an underappreciated ally in medical innovation. The sea is vast, and we have only scratched the surface of its potential. As research progresses, unexpected animals may hold the keys to solving some of our most pressing health challenges. So, the next time you look at the ocean, remember: it is not only a source of beauty but also a reservoir of knowledge for the future of medicine.
Alicia L. Bruzos
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Université de Caen Normandie, France
albruzos@gmail.com