Blue biotechnology - Colours of Biotechnology series #2

Introducing you to the colours of Biotechnology by beginning with my favourite colour and sub field of biotechnology - BLUE BIOTECHNOLOGY. As the name itself suggests, it is an amalgamation of marine sciences and biotechnology; everything related to aquatic organisms, including plants and animals, comes under Blue biotechnology. In this article, I will elaborate on Blue biotechnology and the reasons it is so amazing.

When we talk about science, we often think of something on land, what often is forgotten is the science that is embedded in the core of marine life. Water is vital for life on earth, and covers 70% of earth's surface. The ocean itself is a vast place to research on, be it aquatic animal life, or aquatic plant life. I believe that the ocean is undiscovered and underestimated. There is much more to learn from the ocean, than the land itself. After all, life began from the ocean.

Blue biotechnology is an amalgamation of marine sciences and applications of biotechnology. Blue bioeconomy has flourished ever since the past 10 years. Marine research and resource exploitation is developing mostly in European countries. Marine creatures, microbes, algae, and microalgae, live in extreme ocean marine environments. As survival of the fittest, to adapt, they’ve developed unique survival properties at genetic level to help protect themselves against plenty of factors. Such properties are what make them of utmost interest and benefit. Marine organisms have been used till date to produce nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. They have also been used as a part of diet, especially mediterranean diet.

Widespread research that has been conducted on Marine life in the Blue biotechnology sector is using the following :

Micro and macro Algae - If you see a marshy or stagnant water body closely, you can see a slippery, green substance underneath it. The substance is known as algae (micro algae). Algae is a marine organism known for its healing properties. It's a rich source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and antioxidants. Plenty of nutraceutical products employ usage of different algae spp to manufacture creams with healing, anti aging or nutraceutical properties. Not only pharmaceutical industries, but also nutraceutical companies employ algae in production of hydrating pills that soothe the skin, work as antioxidants, promote heart health due to the antioxidant and omega 3 fatty acids content in them. Algae, as simple as it may seem, is an abundant source in itself. Algae and other glycoproteins from the ocean are used to manufacture moisturizers and creams to soothe the skin and help in controlling inflammation or skin allergies.

Spirulina, a type of blue-green algae, is a rich source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals that is manufactured and consumed on a large scale as a health supplement. In fact one of my current research projects employs production of spirulina. Blue biotechnology has helped explore the above mentioned benefits of algae. Currently, research is being conducted to study the mechanisms and pathways that algae uses, which protect it from the harmful UV rays.

Seaweed is one of the macro algae, which is known for its rich antioxidant activity and is used in the mediterranean diet. It is also used in bioremediation for removal of nitrogen, phosphorus, pathogenic microbes, toxic or heavy metals. Macro algae too are used in production of biofuels that do not harm the environment by causing pollution.

Sea creatures and sponges - Talking about sea sponges, I am sure most of the females reading this article have used or at least known the pumice stone. Well, that's a sea sponge that helps in exfoliation of the skin. Not only are they good for exfoliating the skin, but also improve muscular appearance by promoting type 1 muscle fibers and cellular metabolism to firm and tighten the skin. The main active ingredient in sea sponges is ‘adiponectin’ that plays a vital role in production of glucose and regulation of fat. A sea sponge known as Stylissa massa is known to produce antimicrobial compound Palau’amine that has shown remarkable antimicrobial activity against several pathogenic organisms.

Fluorescent proteins - Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a protein obtained from jellyfish Aequorea Victoria that produces green fluorescence when exposed to light. Other sea organisms like corallimorpharians, hydroids, corals, pennatulids, and anemones are also known to produce this green fluorescent protein. This fluorescent protein has been known to have importance in medical or Red biotechnology. Due to its fluorescent properties, its used in visualizing cell types, in animals, organs, tissues in the field of developmental biology, immunology, cancer biology, neurobiology, etc. The discovery of this protein has radicalized medical sciences and the ongoing research related to medicine.

Collagen - Collagen is an important protein found in the extracellular matrix of sea animals and also land animals. Shrimps, lobsters, crabs, molluscs, etc have collagen in their extracellular matrix. Until the early 2000s, collagen used in several industries was obtained from the bones of animals. However, blue biotechnology has helped to overcome this by obtaining collagen from sea animals. Collagen is a well known ‘nutricosmetic’ which has skin hydrating properties, and also helps the skin keep wrinkle-free.

Ending the article, the above mentioned sources are just 20% of the actual marine sources I have included in this article. Blue biotechnology is much wider and amazing than this. Blue biotechnology as a whole, works to preserve aquatic diversity that is important for maintaining the ecosystem, and also consists of plenty of marine life that is an abundant source of nutrients which are employed in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

I hope by now ‘Blue biotechnology’ has got your attention and you are now aware of how marine life is as important and exciting as life on land. Blue biotechnology and the upcoming article on another colour of biotechnology must have quite caught your attention like it once did mine ! See you in the next week with another article.

- Rachna Jadhav

@theresilientresearcher