The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2005) defines biotechnology as: “The application of science and technology to living organisms, as well as parts, products and models thereof, to alter living or non-living materials for the production of knowledge, goods and services”.
The Marine Board of the European Science Foundation (2010) refers specifically to Marine Biotechnology as encompassing “those efforts that involve marine bioresources, either as the source or the target of biotechnology applications”.
According to the OECD (2005), biotechnology - and hence marine biotechnology, can be further defined by the techniques adopted:
- Genomics, DNA/RNA sequencing/synthesis/amplification, gene expression profiling
- Sequencing/synthesis/engineering of proteins and peptides; proteomics, protein isolation and purification, signaling, identification of cell receptors;
- Cell/tissue culture, tissue engineering -including tissue scaffolds and biomedical engineering;
- Fermentation using bioreactors, bio-processing;
- Gene therapy, viral vectors;
- Construction of databases on genomes, protein sequences;
- Nano/microfabrication to build devices for applications in drug delivery and diagnostics.
Interest in and focus on marine biotechnology has gradually been gaining momentum in Europe. This largely stems from the need to meet growing demands for bioproducts and biomaterials that cannot be satisfied from terrestrial sources alone.The marine environment, accounting for over 90% of the biosphere, hosts immense biodiversity, in great part due to extreme environmental conditions that have required marine organisms to adapt in unique ways, to survive and proliferate. Marine Biotechnology is the key to unlocking the potential of the unique biodiversity of marine organisms and ecosystems.
The variety of chemical and physical properties that marine materials exhibit are exploited in a variety of products and processes, including those based on biomolecular pathways, bioactive substances, biomass production and bioprocessing. Areas where marine biotechnology offers scope to contribute to industrial economic activity include:
- Agriculture - Soil and grassland conditioners; animal feeds; herbi/fungicides and pesticides;
- Aquaculture - Contributing to integrated aquaculture; feeds; genetics and species development;
- Health care - Therapeutics; tissue engineering; pharmaceuticals; nutraceuticals; medical devices;
drug delivery systems; wound dressings; cell therapy; prosthetics; diagnostics and biosensors;
- Food - Ingredients that alter the physical properties of food, i.e. gelling agents, colours, textures and flavours; nutritional components; functional foods (foods that confer health benefits over and above basic nutrition);
- Industrial products - Input to a variety of industrial manufactures, from textiles to chemicals, to biomaterials including adhesives, filters, films as well as industrial processes using enzymes such as equipment cleaning and industrial waste remediation;
- Environmental products and processes - With roles as biosensors, in bioremediation and in manufacturing;
- Cosmetics - The so called cosmetceuticals, including thalassotherapy products.