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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Sophie Kevany

Ocean fungi from twilight zone could be source of next penicillin-like drug

Ocean Environment
Divers in the deep ocean twilight zone
The twilight zone is the part of the ocean just beyond the reach of sunlight. Photograph: Alexis Rosenfeld/Unesco

Large numbers of fungi have been found living in the twilight zone of the ocean, and could unlock the door to new drugs that may match the power of penicillin.

The largest ever study of ocean DNA, published by the journal Frontiers in Science, has revealed intriguing secrets about the abundance of fungi in the part of the ocean that is just beyond the reach of sunlight. At between 200 metres and 1,000 metres below the surface, the twilight zone is home to a variety of organisms and animals, including specially adapted fish such as lantern sharks and kitefin sharks, which have huge eyes and glowing, bioluminescent skin.

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