Difference between revisions of "Future marine biotechnology research"

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diverse industrial applications. [[Microbial_research|Microbes are particularly under-sampled]] and have great potential, since a recent survey of proteins in the ocean has found thousands of new families with unknown functions.  
 
diverse industrial applications. [[Microbial_research|Microbes are particularly under-sampled]] and have great potential, since a recent survey of proteins in the ocean has found thousands of new families with unknown functions.  
  
There already exist some elements which can help to efficiently exploit this resource. These include marine stations with extensive biological expertise and sample-collection facilities and companies with the facility to develop novel biomolecules for industrial applications. An effort is required to bridge the gap between these elements and their potential industrial partners.
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There already exist some elements which can help to efficiently exploit this resource. These include marine stations with extensive biological expertise and sample-collection facilities and companies with the facility to develop novel biomolecules for industrial applications. An effort is required to bridge the gap between these elements and their potential industrial partners<ref name="ma">[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306030378_Marine_Biodiversity_and_Ecosystem_Functioning Heip, C., Hummel, H., van Avesaath, P., Appeltans, W., Arvanitidis, C., Aspden, R., Austen, M., Boero, F., Bouma, TJ., Boxshall, G., Buchholz, F., Crowe, T., Delaney, A., Deprez, T., Emblow, C., Feral, JP., Gasol, JM., Gooday, A., Harder, J., Ianora, A., Kraberg, A., Mackenzie, B., Ojaveer, H., Paterson, D., Rumohr, H., Schiedek, D., Sokolowski, A., Somerfield, P., Sousa Pinto, I., Vincx, M., Węsławski, JM., Nash, R. (2009). Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning. Printbase, Dublin, Ireland ISSN 2009-2539]</ref>.
 
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===Secondary metabolites, chemical biodiversity and biodiversity===
 
===Secondary metabolites, chemical biodiversity and biodiversity===
  
Biochemical studies on marine organisms are very important, not only for the discovery of new drugs and biological tools, but also for better comprehension of ecosystems and, hence, better management of biodiversity. However, during the last twenty years, the study
+
Biochemical studies on marine organisms are very important, not only for the discovery of new drugs and biological tools, but also for better comprehension of ecosystems and hence, better management of biodiversity. However, during the last twenty years, the study
 
of the chemistry of natural products from biodiversity became dominated by the search
 
of the chemistry of natural products from biodiversity became dominated by the search
for active molecules directed towards drug production. This has sometimes sidetracked the scientific investigation of chemical effects and reduced the potential for this
+
for active molecules directed towards drug production. This has sometimes sidetracked the scientific investigation from solving crucial questions in areas such as:
approach to solve crucial questions in areas
 
such as:- examination of the interactions
 
between species; chemical indications of
 
environmental variation; understanding
 
biodiversity at the molecular scale, and
 
comprehending the molecular reactivity and its
 
impact on biological functions.
 
The challenge for the next ten years will be to
 
explore the significance of the variation in rates
 
of metabolite production in model organisms,
 
including microbes, in terms of interaction with
 
the environment and of response to
 
environmental changes (climatic, pollution,
 
exceptional phenomena). To achieve this goal,
 
it will be necessary to study the role of the
 
bioactive molecules within communities, their
 
roles in inter/intra-specific competition for
 
space and resources, and their role in defence
 
against predators and pathogens. This will
 
promote parallel studies in taxonomy,
 
phylogeny, phylogeography and chemistry and
 
clarify the link between biodiversity and
 
chemodiversity.
 
  
 +
*examination of the interactions between [[species]]
 +
*chemical indications of environmental variation
 +
*understanding biodiversity at the molecular scale
 +
*comprehending the molecular reactivity and its impact on biological functions.
  
===Model development===
+
The challenge for the next ten years will be to explore how model organisms, including microbes, vary their production of metabolites in interaction with the environment and as a response to environmental changes ([[Effects of global climate change on European marine biodiversity|climatic]], [[pollution]], exceptional phenomena).
  
In many areas of research, modelling is proving
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To achieve this goal, it will be necessary to study the role of the bioactive molecules within communities, their roles in competition for space and resources, and their role in defence against predators and pathogens. This will promote parallel studies in [[taxonomy]],
very effective, particularly with respect to slowly
+
[[phylogeny]], phylogeography and chemistry and clarify the link between biodiversity and
developing and predictable systems. However,
+
chemodiversity<ref name="ma"/>.
in a period of rapid change such as we are
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<P>
experiencing, irregularities are extremely
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<BR>
important. Ecosystems are non-linear and
+
 
inherently unpredictable, and we must develop
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== See also ==
models that cope with episodic and irregular
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*[[Chemical ecology]]
events and identify trends and depict scenarios.
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*[[Marine Functional Metabolites|Functional Metabolites]]
It should be emphasised, however, that
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**[[Functional metabolites and macroalgal-herbivore interactions|Macroalgal-herbivore interactions]]
empirical data and mechanistic understanding
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**[[Functional metabolites in benthic invertebrates|Benthic invertebrates]]
derived from experiments are essential to
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**[[Functional metabolites in phytoplankton|Phytoplankton]]
underpin models, particularly where regionally focused
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**[[Chemical and physical properties of functional metabolites]]
models are required.
+
<P>
 +
<BR>
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
<references/>
 +
 
 +
[[Category: MarBEF Wiki]]
 +
[[Category:Marine Biotechnology]]

Latest revision as of 19:25, 10 September 2020

Sustainable exploitation of the marine environment, and bio-prospecting

A major challenge in the field of marine biotechnology is to develop an efficient procedure for the discovery of novel biomolecules in the marine environment. The high level of biodiversity of marine organisms makes them a prime target for bio-prospecting: a wide range of novel biomolecules are produced by these organisms, ranging from bioactive molecules and enzymes of interest for medicine to biopolymers with diverse industrial applications. Microbes are particularly under-sampled and have great potential, since a recent survey of proteins in the ocean has found thousands of new families with unknown functions.

There already exist some elements which can help to efficiently exploit this resource. These include marine stations with extensive biological expertise and sample-collection facilities and companies with the facility to develop novel biomolecules for industrial applications. An effort is required to bridge the gap between these elements and their potential industrial partners[1].


Secondary metabolites, chemical biodiversity and biodiversity

Biochemical studies on marine organisms are very important, not only for the discovery of new drugs and biological tools, but also for better comprehension of ecosystems and hence, better management of biodiversity. However, during the last twenty years, the study of the chemistry of natural products from biodiversity became dominated by the search for active molecules directed towards drug production. This has sometimes sidetracked the scientific investigation from solving crucial questions in areas such as:

  • examination of the interactions between species
  • chemical indications of environmental variation
  • understanding biodiversity at the molecular scale
  • comprehending the molecular reactivity and its impact on biological functions.

The challenge for the next ten years will be to explore how model organisms, including microbes, vary their production of metabolites in interaction with the environment and as a response to environmental changes (climatic, pollution, exceptional phenomena).

To achieve this goal, it will be necessary to study the role of the bioactive molecules within communities, their roles in competition for space and resources, and their role in defence against predators and pathogens. This will promote parallel studies in taxonomy, phylogeny, phylogeography and chemistry and clarify the link between biodiversity and chemodiversity[1].


See also


References