"We've come to the point now where the challenge is to choose the most interesting hits with the highest potential commercial value. Our business partners have the final say in this selection. So far, we have gone ahead with a few dozen hits."

When a molecule with known biological activity is found, it creates a basis for patenting.

Overcoming barriers between disciplines

"The profiling process involves a wide variety of scientists," says Professor J rgensen, "from the marine biologists who collect and determine the organisms' species to the chemical engineers who describe their molecular structures. In addition there are a number of medical fields involved in the screening of bioactive substances. It's a considerable challenge to avoid technical bottlenecks and to ensure good communication between all these disciplines."

Once MabCent has shown that certain molecules have properties of interest and the patenting process is underway, it is up to the business partners to follow through with the commercialisation.

Centre on Marine Bioactives and Drug Discovery (MabCent)

MabCent's industrial partners are Biotec Pharmacon ASA, ABC-Bioscience AS, Lytix Biopharma AS and Pronova BioCare ASA.

Biotech Pharmacon deals in particular with activities related to enzymes. ABC-Bioscience, a recently-established firm and a direct offshoot of MabCent, works with antioxidants and cardiovascular products. Lytix Biopharma is a Troms -based firm working on cancer medicine. Pronova Biocare has interests mainly related to diabetes and anti-inflammatory medications.

MabCent has an overall budget of NOK 180 million over eight years. Some 43 per cent of this is covered under the Research Council's SFI scheme, while 25 per cent is funded by the business partners and 33 per cent by the University of Troms . The centre now has roughly 60 full-time and part-time employees.