It is clear from the passage that ageliferin is a substance ----.

Several years ago, biochemists studying marine
ecosystems noticed something unusual: a sponge
thriving in the middle of a coral reef that was dying from
bacterial infection. The researchers identified a
substance made by the sponge in order to defend itself
from harmful microbes. They realized that it was a
natural antibacterial molecule called “ageliferin”. This
molecule can break down the formation of a protective
biofilm coating that bacteria use to shield themselves
from threats, including antibiotic drugs. Now the same
researchers are using this natural compound to create
innovative ways to fight drug-resistant bacteria. They
have recently modified the structure of ageliferin to
make it more potent and formulated to help
conventional medications combat otherwise drugresistant
bacteria, such as staph and cholera. The
newly-developed chemical does not stop bacteria from
proliferating, but it allows the antibiotic to work again.
The researchers hopeJ eventually to incorporate the
altered ageliferin as a helper drug within commercial
antibiotic products, allowing them to fight off formerly
drug-resistant strains of diseases.