Page 36 - IB July 2018

Indepth

Tonga’s Taufa in anti-cancer

compound discovery

Recent scientific research in Tongan waters
has unearthed significant findings that could
lead to new cure for cancer. The research
was carried out by Victoria University of Wel-
lington (VUW) PhD graduate Taitusi Taufa,
who has been credited with discovering new
medicinal properties in marine sponges,
including several unique anti-cancer
compounds.
Taufa, who graduated in May with a PhD
in Chemistry, worked on this research as part
of his thesis and it involved dives in various
locations in Tonga.
The dive on ‘Eua Island however was the
most revealing as it was marked by the IB: Please tell
discovery of unique chemical properties in us a little about
marine sponges, which is believed to be yourself – where
you grew up and
more than 30 million years old and thus has how your inter-
an unusually unique marine environment. est in science
Being an ancient island, ‘Eua is said to be began?
geologically unrelated to other islands in
Tonga so is thought to host organisms that Taufa: I grew
produce “interesting and novel chemistry,” up in a small vil-
according to Taufa. lage called Vaini
The high standard of his work, according to in the eastern side
VUW, “was subsequently recognised by be- of Tongatapu, the
ing selected for the Doctoral Dean’s List – a main island in Ton-
formal record and public acknowledgement ga. I have 6 siblings;
of doctoral graduates whose thesis have three sisters and three
been judged by their examiners to be of brothers. I attended
exceptional quality, and whose work makes the ‘Atele Government
an outstanding contribution to their field of Primary School for my
research.” primary education and
IB interviewed Taufa to shed more light on secondary education was at
the research.

Taitusi Taufa. Photo: Courtesy of Victoria University of Wel-
lington

36 Islands Business, July 2018
36 Islands Business, J uly 2018