Two Ph.D. candidates Shani Shoham (right) and Raz Marom (Moskovich) happy to finally collect a sponge sample (in the bag) after several dives.
A groundbreaking study conducted at Tel Aviv University revealed a unique survival strategy employed by sponges in the Gulf of Eilat. Researchers discovered that these marine creatures have developed a potent defense mechanism by accumulating an exceptionally high concentration of the highly toxic mineral molybdenum (Mo).
Molybdenum is a trace mineral essential for various biological processes in humans, animals, and plants. It is a component of several enzymes that play crucial roles in metabolism, detoxification, and other vital functions.
Furthermore, the study identified the specific bacterium responsible for enabling the sponges to store such substantial amounts of this precious metal. This research sheds light on the intricate symbiotic relationship between these two organisms and provides valuable insights into their survival strategies in the harsh marine environment.
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The study was led by PhD student Shani Shoham and Prof. Micha Ilan from TAU’s School of Zoology. The paper was published in the leading journal Science Advances.
The researchers explain that sponges are the earliest multicellular organisms known to science. They live in marine environments and play an important role in the earth’s carbon, nitrogen, and silicon cycles. A sponge can process and filter seawater 50,000 times its body weight every day. With such enormous quantities of water flowing through them, they can accumulate various trace elements – and scientists try to understand how they cope with toxic amounts of materials like arsenic and molybdenum.
“20 to 30 years ago, researchers from our lab collected samples of a rare sponge called Theonella conica from the coral reef of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean and found in them a high concentration of molybdenum,” said Shoham. “Molybdenum is a trace element, important for metabolism in the cells of all animals including humans, and widely used in industry. In my research, I wanted to test whether such high concentrations are also found in this sponge species in the Gulf of Eilat, where it grows at depths of more than 27 meters. Finding the sponge and analyzing its composition I discovered that it contained more molybdenum than any other organism on earth: 46,793 micrograms per gram of dry weight.”
Molybdenum is in high demand, mostly for alloys (for example, to make high-strength steel), but according to Shoham, it would be impracticable to retrieve it from sponges: “The concentration is very high, but when translated into weight we could only get a few grams from every sponge, and the sponge itself is relatively rare. Sponges are grown in marine agriculture, mostly for the pharmaceutical industry, but this is quite a challenging endeavor. Sponges are very delicate creatures that need specific conditions.
“On the other hand, future research should focus on the ability of Entotheonella sp. bacteria to accumulate toxic metals. A few years ago, our lab discovered huge concentrations of other toxic metals, arsenic (As) and barium (Ba), in a close relative of Theonella conica, called Theonella swinhoei, which is common in the Gulf of Eilat,” said Shoham. “In this case, too, Entotheonella was found to be largely responsible for hoarding the metals and turning them into minerals, thereby neutralizing their toxicity. Continued research on the bacteria can prove useful for treating water sources polluted with arsenic, a serious hazard which directly affects the health of 200 million people worldwide.”
