Blue

biotechnology new opportunities

for EU

Limits, achievements

and perspectives

J. QUERELLOU, PhDIfremer, France

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What is blue biotechnology?

Marine livingresources

Products

BiotechnologyToolbox:- biodiscovery-

mol. biology

-

biochemistry

- microbiology- …omics-

etc.

Aquaculture

-

Drugs

-

Elicitors

- Biofuels-

Food

- Enzymes-

Biopolymers

- Organic

compounds-

Basic research

- Ecosystem

Management-

Bioremediation

Services

Global market: B€

1.9Annual

growth: 10%

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Blue biotechnology and food issue?

1. Optimisation of aquaculture production systems -

omics

applied

to aquaculture

-

high

opportunities

of transgenic

products

BUT?-

improved

microbial

control of farming

and health

-

quality/traceability/management of fish/shellfish

2. Optimisation of aquaculture products

contents for health-

beneficial

effects

of sea-food

-

optimisation of composition through

control of feed

quality

-

production of neutraceuticals

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Blue biotechnology

and energy

issue?1.

Microbial

Enhanced

Oil

Recovery

(MEOR)?

-

huge

potential

and high

economical

impacts-

controversial

results

and no clear

strategy

in Europe

-

future policy

to be

clarified

and recommendations for research

discussed

2. Marine products

for the second biofuel generation?-

Enzymes from

marine organisms

degrading

lignocellulosic

products-

Integration

of marine enzymes in industrial

process

3. MB and the third

biofuel generation

based

on microalgae-

High interest

to produce

biodiesel

-

Initiatives in R&D in the USA and Europe-

Economical

en environmental

sustainability?

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Blue biotechnology and health issue?

1.

Achievements

of the last 20 years-

Prialt™, Yondelis, and close to 20 compounds

under

trials-

Renewal

of interest

for natural

products

2. But many

constraints

and challenges-

legal

aspects, access, property

rights, IP

-

quality

of marine resources, id, sustainab.-

dereplication and shared

information

-

strutural

costs

from

marine products-

strategies

of SMEs

and big

pharmas

3. Antibioresistance

and deficit

of novel antibiotics: toward

post-antibiotic

era?

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Blue biotechnology

and environmental

issues?

1. Biofouling/antifouling- critical env. issue and huge economic importance- promising results but no commercial hits- need for research and integration of green AF and nanostructured coating

2. Detection of marine bacteria, viruses, toxic compounds- active community for designing molecular tools

DNA probes, PCR solutions, SPR in situ etc…3. Monitoring of chemicals

- need for efficient biological assessment tools- model organisms as integrating tools?

4. Bioremediation- oil spills: progress and limits. Policies?

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Blue biotechnology as a source of innovative

products?

1.

Proteins

and enzymes (notably

extremophiles)-

Large range of applications: white biotech, feed,

energy, environment, etc.-

Need

for improved

high

throughput

direct

screening from

crude

sample2. Biopolymers

(EPS, PHA, etc.)

-

Large range of applications: cosmetics, health, bioremediation, etc.

3. Biomaterials-

Novel

field

of research

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Blue biotechnology: vision for the future

By 2020 European Union will develop and apply advanced tools,

platforms and infrastructures and support to Marine Biotechnology to provide a significant contribution to addressing key societal challenges of the next decades in the areas of food and energy, development of novel drugs and treatments for human health and the sustainable use and management of the seas and oceans.

- Naive if not supported by an appropriate strategy and a strong implementation plan and constant support of all key players

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Blue biotechnology what

conditions for success?

-

Access to resources -

property

rights

in EEZ and the zone and IP

- no common

policy

except

general

trend to exclusive protection - sustainability

of resources

- shared

information and dereplication

-Shared

or distributed

infrastructures and equipments- Network of marine stations (ASSEMBLE and EUROFLEETS…)- Omics

infrastructures

- Biobanks

and biological

resources

centres

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Blue biotechnology: what strategy?Establish

completely

new mechanisms

and policies

to circumvent

the high

risks

of investments

in critical

novel

drugs

from

marine resources, notably

antibiotics

Improve

policies

in property

rights

and IP

Develop

a common

European position on regulations

of access

benefit

sharing

and exploitation

of marine genetic

resources

Support the emergence

of joint research

groups acad/industry

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Blue biotechnology challenge

Special

thanks

to Jan-Bart Calewaert, ESF

and MB WG members