Escapin
Industry: Antimicrobial compounds
Escapin is a substance found in the ink that a type of sea snail secretes to deter predators. Escapin is an L-amino acid oxidase that oxidizes L-lysine to produce compounds like hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. These escapin-derived compounds also have antimicrobial properties, effective against E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, fungus and yeast.
Georgia State researchers have developed compounds that mimic the antimicrobial components of the sea snail’s secretion. They plan to develop antimicrobial products based on these escapin-derived compounds. The antimicrobial products will be designed to meet FDA and EPA standards.
Antimicrobial and disinfectant chemicals are in high demand worldwide, with the market in U.S. projected to grow to $1.6 billion by 2017.
