High school students research date mussels for kidney stone treatment

High school students in Izmir, Turkey, have launched a scientific research project to investigate the biological mechanisms of the Mediterranean date mussel (Lithophaga) for the potential treatment of kidney and gallstones.

Supported by the Ege University Benthic Organisms Research Laboratory, the project examines how these mussels interact biochemically with mineral surfaces to carve out rock. Researchers aim to decipher the enzymatic mechanism used by the mussels to bore into stone, with the ultimate goal of developing a medicinal application to prevent or treat pathological stones in the human body.

As part of the Sustainable Development Youth Leaders Education Program (SUGEP) Academy, the students have already conducted laboratory studies on the biochemical interactions of the mussels found along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. Future stages of the research will include field studies near the Kaş district of Antalya.