It is generally believed that life began in the sea. All known life in the universe probably developed in or around hydrothermal vents deep in the early Earth’s oceans. The vents provided all the needed energy to promote reactions in the sea’s chemical soup that sparked life billions of years ago.
While the exact conditions and processes that took place remain a mystery, what is clear is that the sea remains an incredibly important, fertile environment and a source of fascinating chemistry that has the potential to provide many industries with novel products.
The task of identifying these novel chemistries is a daunting one, and we have only just begun to dip our toes in the water. However, within a relatively short space of time, there have been many active ingredients that have their origins in marine and marine margin environments. Many of the sources were targeted because they displayed incredible resilience to hostile environments, of which there are many, including hydrothermal vents.
With consumers increasingly interested in protecting their skin from the ravages of UV and pollution, there is a real wealth of potential within the marine ecosystems, utilising defence mechanisms to protect human skin
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