marine biotechnologies and innovation in the...

Marine biotechnologies and innovation in the entrerprises

International panorama, technological stakes, specific cases

ESMB, Concarneau Sept 1-3, 2009J. Querellou, UMR 6197

Ifremer main activities related to biotechnology

ESMB, Concarneau Sept 1-3, 2009

1. Aquaculture- optimize the composition of products for health- limit the impact of fish farm effluents- control the microbial environment of farms- understand and control diseases

2. Environment- biosensors for toxic plankton monitoring- fouling control - bioremediation

3. Ressourcesconvert the gold mine (by-products, bacteria, archaea,microalgae) in products…and profit for partners

CIESM & US-EC marine genomics in ecology and biotechnology: Monaco 12-14 Oct. 2008

Is it a gold mine?Value chain?…

Microbial resources: 20 years of trials and errors


1989-1998: offer strategy- defining targets and a priori value- establishing a catalog of products: enzymes, EPS…- matching the markets? The requirements?- Ifremer does not know the biotech specific markets- operates at the limits of the allocated missions

1998- 2009: strategic partnership- DNA polymerases- industrial enzymes: Proteus- EPS and PHA: Seadev

Approach: search for innovative products


1. Enzymes- DNA modification enzymes- Carboxylesterases (lipases, esterases)- glycosylases, notably glucosidases(amylases, cellulases, chitinases,galactosidase, pullulanase,…)

- alcohol dehydrogenases

2. Biopolymers- EPS (novel sugars, novel properties)- PHAs

Main problem: short term return or strategic priority?

Second generation biofuel production technologies


Second generation biofuel production technologies


Mini-cellulosome technology

Microbial resources: 20 years of trials and errors


1989-1998: offer strategy- defining targets and a priori value- establishing a catalog of products: enzymes, EPS…- matching the markets? The requirements?- Ifremer does not know the biotech specific markets- operates at the limits of the allocated missions

1998- 2009: strategic partnership- DNA polymerases- industrial enzymes: Proteus- EPS and PHA: Seadev

Access to resources: sampling where?Intellectual property rights of marine genomic resources

- IPR related to biological resources (organisms, genomes and genes)are defined under international and national jurisdictions.

- 1.Who owns marine genetic resources? (UNCLS, 1982) National jurisdictions (collections of microorganisms, of (meta)genomevs international zone.

- 2.Patentability of strains and genetic material? Patentability of derived products? metagenomes and pharma?

- 3. Ethical considerations: main debate related to ownership beyondnational jurisdiction. How conciliate the various approaches ?


Intellectual property rights of marine genomic resources


Increasing gap betweenthe world of sciencists, undergoingpermanent revolution (i.e. metagenomics)>>>> temps court; short termand

the world of lawyers and legal frameworktemps long, long term

but not with the real world, economy and industryi.e. « metagenomics » patents by Diversa in 1996.

Crude sample Clonal Pop.

ADNGenome species.Pangenome?

Isolationculture

Isolation ? cell genome

Seq.Extr.ADN

sorting

<0,2 µ

>2µ

Extr. ADN

ADN mixViral MetagenomeSequencing

CellularExtraction

Isolation Culture

Extr. ADN

Genome species

Metagenome

B+A MetagenomeEuc. Metagenome

Legal issues: Access to products, genomes/metagenomesBudapestTreaty


Research consortia and IP: additional complexity


Ifremer (and others) are not islands

More and more research in 10 to 40 partnersresearch projects

IPR defined in consortium agreements… not simple


Operational conclusions:

1. Define and operate either strategicpartnerships

or research projectscovering precise/limited field of activities

2. Support the developement of products or processesby an appropriate supply of marine resources providedunder precise standards:

- clear IPR- delivery mode: strain collection, genes, fractions..- active scientific support if requested or defineas strategic priority

Intellectual property rights of marine genomic resourcesRecommendations?

Fair and equitable……..mutual benefits

1.should be incentice enough to attract private investmentsand research

2. Should not impair the ability to operate research in the deep-sea…


marine biotechnologies and innovation in the...

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