University of Otago chemistry researcher Dr Nicholas Green has received a $2million research grant from the Human Frontier Science Program to investigate fish toxins, which could be used to cure diseases. The grant will allow the team to study the genomics, biosynthesis, physiology and chemical synthesis of a little-known family of ichthyotoxins — toxic molecules produced by fish. ‘‘Given that most of us eat fish, it’s important that we know about these toxins. ‘‘But it also turns out that fish toxins include some of the most interesting, confusing chemical structures known to science. ‘‘In terms of the medical context, there’s a lot of mystery around why the particular fish in this case have this natural product present in their tissue.
