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“And frustrating as well,” he said

“In ay, Dr Mayhew?”

“Scientists searched for another twenty years for a whole sponge without success Then soe’s true habitat? On the first dive, they found enough sponges to support years of research The scientists had been looking for the sponge in places where other stuff was growing Their sponge grew at a depth of a thousand feet, where the bottom was practically bare”

“Did you use the same search procedure for the sea star?” Gamay asked

“Essentially We found fragments of an unknown specimen not far from the Harbor Branch dives, did a habitat profile, and, as that TV chef says, Baes that also contained the cancer-killing chemical”

“Does the star’s potential live up to its beauty?” she asked

“The Harbor Branch specimen produced a che The star is al”

“Do I detect a note of sness in your voice, Dr Mayhew?”

The scientist widened his mouth in a smile that for once did not look pasted on his face

“We’ve got a long slog ahead of us before we can license the chemical to a pharh clinical tests We have to find a way to produce the chees in the wild isn’t feasible econoically”

“I’h aquaculture,” Gamay said

“We’re researching that possibility Better still would be culturing the anisms that produce the che the cheed “First, we have to figure out hoorks”

“You have your job cut out for you, Dr Mayhew”

“True, but the potential rewards are reatest source of pharmaceuticals in the future”

Gamay cast her eyes around the lab