Blue biotech emerges from the deep

Blue biotech emerges from the deep

Blue biotech is getting into its stride, as the tools of genomics and high throughput screening are applied to unlock the chemical diversity of the oceans.

Thus far marine, or blue biotech is an also ran next to its pharmaceutical, industrial and agricultural cousins. But last week Pharmamar, Europe’s leader in marine drug discovery and development submitted a new cancer treatment for approval, signalling a turning tide in the commercial prospects of marine biotechnology.

Oceans cover about 70 percent of the earth and are home to thousands or possibly millions of species of plants and animals. But while plant and animal life on land is well documented, much of life in the seas remains uncharted territory.

They may all be wet, but there is a huge variety of marine habitats – from hot water vents to polar ice, and tidal rock pools to high pressure environments in the abyssal deeps. And now it transpires that microbial diversity in the oceans may be up to 100 times greater than previously estimated.

Read the whole article at “Science | Business”