[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/7076\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EJellyfish researchers want you to start thinking about these creatures for your next meal\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018After a few days in that state they lose their stinging cells, and the UV radiation from the sun should have killed any bacteria,\u2019 he said. \u2018But still, I wouldn\u2019t recommend it.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike an increasing number of researchers, Prof. Piraino, a biologist at the University of Salento in Lecce, Italy, is interested in turning huge blooms of jellyfish from the unlikely menace they often are into something useful.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFood is top of his list \u2013 he says jellyfish can be healthy and delicious once cooked \u2013 though there are plenty of other ideas from medicines to nutraceuticals. To begin using these ethereal creatures for our own ends, however, Prof. Piraino and others want to first understand this: what exactly is in a jellyfish?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe transparent pulsating blobs that the name jellyfish conjures are in fact one stage of a complex lifecycle. This medusa phase produces eggs or sperm, which in turn develop into larvae and then a polyp, which attaches itself to underwater surfaces. Many polyps tend to produce new medusas at once, creating blooms of many thousands of individuals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese blooms create some sticky situations. In 2007, a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/science-nature\/jellyfish-the-next-king-of-the-sea-679915\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EUS aircraft carrier\u003C\/a\u003E was partially disabled when jellyfish clogged the pipes that allow cooling water into its engines. Over one week in January, some \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-australia-46777854\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003E13,000 people\u003C\/a\u003E were stung off Australia\u2019s Gold Coast.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAre blooms becoming larger and more common? In some places, including the Adriatic Sea, we have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10750-010-0217-8\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Egood records\u003C\/a\u003E suggesting that they are, though the evidence is not entirely clear cut because jellies are so hard to count. In other places, we have a paucity of data \u2013 so the overall global picture is uncertain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEventually, the jellyfish die, and their bodies begin to sink. What effect this has on ocean chemistry, and what those chemical changes mean for underwater life, are questions worth asking, says microbiologist Dr Tinkara Tinta at the University of Vienna, Austria. After all, it has been estimated that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/geb.12169\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Emore than 90% of the mass of soft bodied zooplankton in the ocean is jellyfish\u003C\/a\u003E. What does all that goo do?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u0026#039;(Jellyfish) is really rich in proteins \u2013 basically a superfood for microbes.\u0026#039;\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Tinkara Tinta, University of Vienna, Austria\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMolecules\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Tinta says that as the jellyfish carcasses sink they begin to be eaten and degraded, releasing nutrient molecules. Although jellyfish can be 95% water, they also contain lots of biological molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u2019s really rich in proteins \u2013 basically a superfood for microbes,\u2019 said Dr Tinta. Deep below, the microbes break down all that organic matter into nutrients that can re-enter the food web.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Tinta\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/rcn\/215197\/factsheet\/en\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EMIDAS project\u003C\/a\u003E is painting a richer picture of that process. In the lab, she infuses ocean water samples with powdered dead jellyfish and a sample of bacteria typically found in the ocean. Then she watches how the populations of microorganisms change as they begin to feast on jellyfish, by taking samples of the DNA in the cultures and working out from that which species are thriving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe has found that several species of bacteria that are not usually very prevalent in the ocean begin to replicate quickly when they get the jellyfish biomass. These include some species that are related to the bacteria that causes cholera in humans. But the work isn\u2019t yet finished, let alone published, and Dr Tinta says there\u2019s no cause for alarm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven if jellyfish blooms are not causing problems as they decay, they are messing with human activities on the surface of the water. One solution might be to fish them out and put them to good use, which is where Prof. Piraino\u2019s work comes in.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe says other projects and firms have already shown that jellyfish are useful to us. Take collagen, the main structural protein in human connective tissues and a major protein in jellies, too. Collagen taken from cows and pigs is often used in medical treatments for humans, including in bone grafts and cosmetic procedures. It can also be used as a scaffold on which to grow tissues that can then be implanted into people.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut not all types of animal collagen are compatible with all human cell types. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jellagen.co.uk\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EJellagen\u003C\/a\u003E, a company based in Cardiff, UK, says collagen from jellyfish offers a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/labiotech.eu\/interviews\/jellagen-jellyfish-collagen-interview\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Ebetter alternative scaffolding\u003C\/a\u003E, because jellies\u2019 collagen is primitive and compatible with a wide variety of human cell types.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022A compound in the fried egg jellyfish appears to have anticancer activity and could be used in medicines. Image credit - Flickr\/Arnaud Abadie, licensed under CC BY 2.0\u0022 height=\u00221040\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/friedeggjelly_crop_0.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022A compound in the fried egg jellyfish appears to have anticancer activity and could be used in medicines. Image credit - Flickr\/Arnaud Abadie, licensed under CC BY 2.0\u0022 width=\u00221536\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EA compound in the fried egg jellyfish appears to have anticancer activity and could be used in medicines. Image credit - Flickr\/Arnaud Abadie, licensed under CC BY 2.0\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAntioxidant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Piraino wants to take this further and work out how to make use of all sorts of jellyfish. For instance, he says that if you break collagen into smaller pieces it acts as an antioxidant, a molecule that is deemed healthy because it helps soak up chemicals called radicals that can damage cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd a few years ago, he isolated a compound from the Mediterranean fried egg jellyfish (\u003Cem\u003ECotylorhiza tuberculata\u003C\/em\u003E) that appears to have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23697954\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Eanticancer activity\u003C\/a\u003E. He is now working to find out whether the compound is effective against a range of different cancers. The ultimate goal is to have it approved as a medicine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of a project called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/rcn\/200609\/factsheet\/en\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EPulmo\u003C\/a\u003E, Prof. Piraino is trying to work out what other useful compounds there are in the Mediterranean sea lung jellyfish (\u003Cem\u003ERhizostoma pulmo\u003C\/em\u003E). In late 2018, he published evidence showing that the contents of jellyfish ovaries can kill \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/30597935\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Ebacteria\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the larger GoJelly research consortium, which is exploring sustainable uses for jellies, he is also working out how best to cook jellyfish so as to best preserve the healthy molecules they contain when raw. At present, most of the jellyfish that is consumed is in China, where it is caught, then dehydrated with salt. People then soak it in water before eating it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Piraino has investigated what happens when it is instead boiled in water, looking to see what compounds the resulting material contains so we can be sure it\u2019s safe to eat. So far, his work has shown that sea lung jellyfish performed better than the two others he has tested, in terms of retaining its healthy antioxidant compounds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022The sea lung jellyfish, the Rhizostoma pulmo, could become a healthy food source with antioxidants. Image credit - Fabrizio Marcuzzo \u0022 height=\u00222539\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/Rhizostoma%20pulmo%20-%20from%20Stefano%20Piraino.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022The sea lung jellyfish, the Rhizostoma pulmo, could become a healthy food source with antioxidants. Image credit - Fabrizio Marcuzzo \u0022 width=\u00223386\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EThe sea lung jellyfish, the Rhizostoma pulmo, could become a healthy food source with antioxidants. Image credit - Fabrizio Marcuzzo\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo what does jellyfish taste like? Perhaps surprisingly, jellyfish ends up being crunchy to chew once cooked. And it tends to take on the flavours it encounters during cooking, which means it can vary widely. Prof. Piraino says the one he found lying on the beach wasn\u2019t the best he\u2019s ever tasted. That was cooked for him in Milan by Gennaro Esposito, a well-known TV chef in Italy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe was with an American colleague when he tried them. \u2018And I\u2019ll tell you what he said,\u2019 said Prof. Piraino. \u2018\u201cThis is the best oyster I have ever had in my life!\u201d\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research in this article was funded by the EU. 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