Scientific researchers from the Faculty of Animal Biology of the University of Barcelona are in Antarctica to search for and analyse the pharmacological potential of natural products of marine origin that are useful for the cure of certain diseases.

It is an activity that is part of the Actiquim II project, the continuation of the Ecoquim and Actiquim projects, both developed in 1998 and 2004 respectively.

The program includes the study and evaluation of chemical molecules found in marine invertebrates as modulating elements of the relationship between different organisms.

It is also planned to investigate the alterations produced by human activity in these ecosystems, such as tourism, so that planning actions can be developed so that these activities have a minimum impact on the ecosystem.

The project, whose campaign in Antarctica is scheduled for the months between January and March 2013, involves scientists from the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UB, the Barcelona Science Park, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography in Gijón, the University of Bonn (Germany), the University of Alaska (USA) and the National Council for Scientific Research in Naples.