The Research Vessel The Odyssey.
Photo Courtesy of Iain Kerr

The major challenge in developing marine cell lines is the need to obtain the freshest possible tissue samples for processing. The research vessel, Odyssey, pictured on the right, has completed a 5-year around-the-world voyage collecting marine samples in remote ocean locations. The boat is currently being refitted and prepared for its next voyage, that will focus on returning to locations identified as ‘hotspots’ of pollution during the first voyage, and additional areas of concern.

We have partnered with Ocean Alliance, a not-for-profit organization that owns and operates the Odyssey. Part of the current refit will be construction of an on-board cell culture facility to allow us to develop cell lines on the boat while it is collecting specimens in those remote locations. This exciting new laboratory will be the only marine mammal cell culture laboratory at sea and for sure the only cell culture laboratory on a sailboat! We expect to be testing the facility in closer waters beginning in the spring of 2007!