Blue biotechnologyTechnology in Color Blue!

Niranjana Menon

2016 – 11 - 109

Blue biotechnology is the application of

molecular biological methods

to marine and freshwater organisms

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Important marine sources and research areas

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Research area Marine source Aims

Food Algae, invertebrates,

fishes

Development of innovative methods

To increase aquaculture production

Zero waste recirculation systems

Energy AlgaeBiofuel production

Biorefineries

HealthAlgae, sponge,

microorganismsTo find novel bioactives

Environment Marine organisms

Biosensing technologies for marine

environment monitors

Non-toxic antifouling technology

Industrial

productsAlgae

Production of marine biopolymers for

food, cosmetics, and health

[Springer Handbook of Marine Biotechnology]

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Tools & diagnostics for reproduction &

growth

Genetics, physiology, biochemistry, ecology

Bioactive compounds-function & mode of action

Role of Blue Biotechnology

How does it relate to industry and

agriculture?

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Marine biotechnology securing food supply

To satisfy the growing demand for high quality and healthy

products from fisheries and aquaculture in a sustainable way.

Intensive aquaculture

Examples

Marine derived food additives

Marine derived nutraceutics

Marine derived E-numbers

Marine biotechnological progresses in aquaculture

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Marine biotechnology securing alternative sources of

renewable energy

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Examples

Production of biofuel from macroalgae

Production of oil from microalgae

Research priorities to improve microbial enhanced oil recovery

Marine biotechnology securing human health

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Examples

Marine derived anticancer drugs

Marine derived painkillers

Marine derived antibiotics

Marine derived cosmetics

The sponge Stylissa massa produces an

unusual compound palau'amine, with

antimicrobial activity

Marine biotechnology securing industrial products

and processes

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GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) from jellyfish (Aequorea

victoria) and luciferase enzyme from Vibrio fischeri have

widespread applications in molecular biology as a reporter

protein.

Shrimp alkaline phosphatase and other marine derived

enzymes with unique heat labile properties used to simplify

molecular biology reactions like PCR and others

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Examples

Marine derived enzymes

Marine derived biopolymers

Marine derived biomaterials

Marine biotechnology securing environmental health

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Examples

Marine derived antifouling strategies

Marine habitat restoration

Bioremediation of marine ecosystems

Biosensing

Biostimulation

Bioaugmentation

Application of blue biotechnology

Aquaculture

Transgenic

Disease Resistance

Conservation

Seaweeds and their Products

Pharmaceuticals

Enzymes

Biomolecules

Bioremediation

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Aquaculture

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Substantial commercialization of aquaculture

Improve:

Health

Reproduction

Development and growth

of aquatic organisms

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Transgenic fish

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Production of transgenic fish much easier than producing other

transgenic mammals

Fish produce a large number of eggs can generate large quantities of

genetically uniform material for experimentation

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) 500,015,000 eggs

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) 1, 00,000 eggs

First successful case of transgenic fish was reported by Zhu et al.,

1985 - microinjected the human GH gene into the fertilized eggs of

goldfish (Carassius auratus L.)

Followed by successful introduction of human GH gene into the

genome of the loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) with resulting

transgenic fish that grew 3 to 4.6 times faster than the control within

the first 135 d (Zhu et al.,1986).

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Chinook salmonOcean pout

AquAdvantage salmon

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A patented brand of genetically modified (GM) fluorescent

Zebra fish (Danio rerio) with bright red, green, and orange

fluorescent colors

GloFish TM are available in six striking colors:

Starfire Red®

Cosmic Blue®

Electric Green®

Galactic Purple®

Sunburst Orange®

Moonrise Pink®

GloFish™

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Transgenic Growth-Enhanced Tilapia20

Transgenic Growth-Enhanced Loach21

Current and potential applications of transgenic fish

Growth enhancement

Freeze resistance and cold tolerance

Salinity tolerance

Disease resistance

Metabolic modification

Improved product for the consumer

Fishpharming production of pharmacological proteins

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Disease Resistance

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A major limitation - outbreak of disease - farmed fish are

generally cultured at high densities and under stress -

bacterial infection (Hew et al.,1995).

Example catfish industry - Channel catfish (Ictalurus

punctatus)

Antibiotics -- limited number have been approved for use

in aquaculture

Introduction of disease resistance genes from wild spp. or

other sources

Conservation

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United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

(UNCLOS)

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Molecular tools can be used to identify and characterize important

aquatic germplasm including many endangered species. These

tools have made it possible to analyze the genomes of many

aquatic species. They have also helped us understand the

molecular basis of gene regulation, expression and sex

determination. This can improve the methodologies for defining

species, stocks and populations.

Such molecular approaches include:

Developing marker-assisted selection technologies

Improving precision and efficiency of transgenic techniques

DNA fingerprinting to know polymorphism in fish stocks

Improving technologies for cryopreservation of gametes and

embryos

Seaweeds and their products

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Nutraceuticals (food)

Biodiesel

Stabalizing agents - Chondrus crispus

Bioremediation - Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb

Pollution indicator

Production of Hydrogen -

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Single cell protein

Tofu - Japanese cuisine

Gel electrophoresis

SCP - Chlorella

Fuels from algae

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Renewable and no damage to the environment.

Biomass can be converted by bacteria to fuels such as methane.

Dunaliella is an alga that can produce glycerol, which can be

converted by bacteria to chemicals such as ethanol and

butanol, which can be used as fuels.

Algae may also be genetically modified to make gasoline-type

fuels.

Algal food products

Microalgae (green algae and cyanobacteria): mostly as food,

but also used as pigment sources such as β-carotene.

Algae such as Spirulina and Chlorella are of much nutritional

value.

Spirulina is marketed today as dried flakes that are used in

fish food and Japanese food.

Spirulina – SCP, capsules for space researchers

Phycobiliproteins are pigments involved in algal

photosynthesis, and can be used as phycofluors, which can

label biological molecules.

ICAR - CMFRI patented products and techniques

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Shore pearl culture

technology

Green mussels

extract (GMe) for

arthritis

Hatchery technology

for clown fish

Pharmaceuticals

Research on the use of collagen from marine invertebrates

in wound healing and product development

Taq DNA polymerase - Thermus aquaticus

Pfu DNA polymerase - Pyrococcus furiosus

DNA ligase - Thermococcus fumicolans

GFP - Aequorea victoria

Shrimp alkaline phosphatases - Pandalus borealis

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Enzymes

Bioremediation

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Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty, an Indian - born scientist

working at GE in the 1960’s and 1970’s, developed the multi-

plasmid hydrocarbon - degrading Pseudomonas and

patented it in 1971.

First time anyone had patented a living organism.

Pseudomonas putida - degrades the hydrocarbon present in oil

spliis

Examples of market level marine - derived products

Products Source Application

Ara-A Marine sponge Antiviral

Ara-C Marine sponge Anticancer

Okadaic acid Dinoflagellate Molecular probe

Manolide Marine sponge Molecular probe

Vent TMA polymeraseDeep-sea hydrothermal

vent bacteriumPCR enzyme

AequorinBioluminescent jelly

fish

Bioluminescent calcium

indicator

Green flourescent proteinBioluminescent jelly

fishReporter gene

Phycoerythrin Red algae

Conjugated antibodies used

in ELISA and flow

cytometry

CephalosporinsCephalosporium sp.,

marine fungiAntibiotic 33

THANK YOU

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Marine derived food additives

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Antioxidants

Polyamines such as Spermine and Spermidine

Sulfated polysacchrides from brown algae

Astaxanthin: pigmented antioxidant in microalgae

Taste – adding substances

Lipids

Photosynthetic pigments

Polysaccharides

Protein

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Marine derived nutraceutics

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Bioactive peptides

Fish oils

Fish proteins

Seaweeds

Macroalgae & microalgae

Amino acids

Omega-3 oils

All kinds of phytochemicals

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Marine derived E-numbers

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E-numbers -- code names for different kinds of substances

that are used as food additives

E 406 – Agar -- Gelidium, Pterocladia & Gracilaria.

E400 – 405 -- Alginates

E 407 -- Carrageenan

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Marine biotechnology securing human health

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Elysia rufescens Dolabella auricularia Trididemnum solidum

Kahalalide-F

Antitumor

Dolastatin 10

Antimitotic

Didemnin-B

Herpes simplex virus

Conus magus

Ziconotide (prialt)

Chronic pain

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Biosensing

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To monitor the in situ marine environment.

Monitoring can be:

Analysis of the water quality

Prediction & detection of harmful algal blooms (HAB)

Estimation of environmental and human health risks.

Microalgal fiber optic biosensors

Automated online optical biosensing systems (AOBS)

Surface plasma resonance (SPR)

Biosensors to detect marine toxins in seafood

Wearable electrochemical sensors

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Marine derived antifouling strategies

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Biofouling -- accumulation of microorganisms, plants,

algae, or animals on wetted surfaces.

Antifouling -- ability of specifically designed materials

and coatings to remove or prevent biofouling by any

number of organisms on wetted surfaces.

Biocides -- chemical substances that deter the

microorganisms responsible for biofouling.

Tributyltin moiety (TBT) and tin-based anti-fouling

coatings

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Bioremediation of marine ecosystems

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Microorganisms transform organic contaminants in

oceans, soils, groundwater, sludge and solids, into an

energy source, cometabolizing substances with another

energy source.

In the case of larger oil spills, residual oil can be further

broken down by biostimulation

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Biostimulation

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Addition of specific nutrients, air, organic substrates or

other electron donors/acceptors, nutrients, and other

compounds that affect and normally limit treatment in their

absence.

Microorganisms will clean the waste source more efficiently

and faster than in normal circumstances

Examples: grease accumulation in sewers and grease traps

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Bioaugmentation

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Treatment where you want to achieve a controlled, predictable

and programmed biodegradation.

The controlled addition of specially formulated microbial cultures

that assist those found naturally in the soil.

Done in conjunction and monitoring of an ideal growth

environment in which these selected bacteria can live and work

Specific strains of anaerobic microorganisms have been isolated,

cultured and are commercially available for the biodegradation of

the chlorinated contaminants VC. Bio-Dechlor INOCULUM®

Plus is a widely used bioaugmentation culture designed

specifically for this purpose.

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