Super Sponges

You may remember from a prior episode that some sponges can creep, very slowly, across the ocean floor. But most are stationary, or sessile, which make them seem less interesting. However, we continue to learn just how fascinating, and valuable, sponges are. There are 8,550 species, in all colors, shapes and sizes, in all depths of salt- and fresh water. They survive by filtering water through their tissues to consume bacteria. And this is key to their environmental benefits. They clean the water around reefs where they live; some even filter out dangerous elements. A few species sequester high levels of arsenic, barium and molybdenum enough to be toxic to other lifeforms. This has given ecologists the idea to grow colonies of sponges at the mouths of polluted rivers, to make the water safe. Sponges manage these toxins with symbiotic bacteria that bond to the elements and make them inert. Medical researchers are investigating ways to do the same in humans. Many other useful medical compounds have come from sponges. They produce spongothymadine, which mimics a building block of DNA, to trap viruses. Biotech companies have used spongothymadine to produce drugs for HIV and cancer, with many more sponge-inspired treatments in development—for antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory medications. An amazing array of benefits from the simple, super sponge.