Oceans are the future of biotechnology

The aim of the project 'From sea-bed to test-bed: Harvesting the potential of marine microbes for industrial biotechnology' (SEABIOTECH) is to scour the seas for compounds that can be developed into new pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, foods and industrial chemicals. A standardised sampling process was used to collect microbes from hydrothermal vents off the coast of Iceland and deep-sea basins in the eastern Mediterranean. Other microorganisms were collected from previously unsampled areas of the Scottish coast.

Project partners, which include small and medium-sized enterprises, are identifying and overcoming the main hurdles facing successful exploitation of marine microbes for industrial biotechnology. This involves improving the quality of marine resources available for biological exploitation and an improvement in technical aspects to shorten time to market. SEABIOTECH will also develop ways to sustainably manufacture products on an industrial scale.

Researchers created a centralised databank to store genomic, chemistry and bioactivity information on the collected microbes and from existing collections. They also sequenced 13 genomes from bacteria collected from around hydrothermal vents. Genomes were also sequenced for bacteria isolated from seawater and from a marine sponge species (Petrosia ficiformis).

The study showed that studying the metabolites present in the bacteria that live in sponges can aid in their selection and speed up the discovery of new drugs. The microorganism Vibrio splendidus was found to act strongly against Mycobacterium marinum, a free-living bacteria that causes opportunistic infections in humans.

SEABIOTECH will play a significant role in helping to ensure Europe's position as a world leader in biotechnology. It will also contribute to European legislation guiding the sustainable exploitation of marine genetic resources, in accordance with the Nagoya Protocol.