Study on biodiversity  of sponges species surrounding Con Co Island and screening bioactive compounds from selected sponge samples.

As the initial study on biodiversity of sponges in Con Co Island, the present project has main theoretical results as following:
- The survey result surrounding Con Co Island showed that sponges are commonly distributed at 5 transects, with high diverse of species composition: 8 species/8 genus in 8 families, 5 orders. All belong to class Demospongiae.
- Phylogenetic analyses based on polymorphism of sequence fragments on 28S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes revealed high phylogenetic variation of demosponges collected around Con Co Island.
- Chemical analysis: 5 compounds (Adenosine, Sphingolipid and Araguspongine B, E, Aragusterol I) were isolated from sponges Xestospongia testudinaria, in which Aragusterol I is a new compound, firstly isolated from natural sources.
- Three compounds (Adenosine, Sphingolipid and Araguspongine B) showed a moderate antibiotic activity against at least one tested microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis ATCC 27212, Aspergillus niger 439 and Fusarium oxysporum M42).

- Chemical analysis of sponge Xestospongia testudinaria revealed a new compound (Aragusterol I).
- The phylogenetic result of the study is the first molecular data of sponges living in Vietnamese seas, contributing to the applicability of DNA markers in genetic diversity of sponges in Vietnam.