Scope and Applications of Marine Biotechnology
Marine biotechnology utilizes marine organisms and microbial resources from oceans, seas and coastal areas for useful products and industrial applications. The scope of marine biotechnology is vast as oceans cover over 70% of earth's surface and maintain a highly diverse ecosystem. By investigating unique biomolecules, processes and organisms present across marine domains, this field aims to address challenges in areas like health, energy, environment and more.
Some key applications of marine biotechnology include extraction of high-value bioactive compounds for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Marine organisms produce diverse secondary metabolites with medicinal properties. Compounds derived from sponges, tunicates, microbes etc are under study for developing anti-cancer drugs, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents etc. Marine enzymes also offer solutions as beneficial additives and catalysts. Proteins and polysaccharides extracted from algae and microbes find uses as thickeners, gelling agents or emulsifiers.
Aquaculture and mariculture use biotechniques for breeding fisheries and cultivating marine plants. Selective breeding programs and genetic improvement help boost yield and disease resistance in economically important species like shrimp, salmon, seaweeds etc. Marine microbes offer promising solutions for bioremediation of heavy metal pollution and oil spills in oceans. Biotechnologies aid production of biofuels from marine biomass sources like algae. Waste streams from mariculture are also tapped to make biofertilizers and bioplastics.
Tech Innovations Driving Growth of Marine Biotech Industry
The marine biotech industry is progressing through technological innovations that expand the scope of resource exploration and speed up product development. Advanced 'omics' tools like genomics, proteomics and metabolomics facilitate comprehensive profiling of marine genomes and biological pathways. Bioprospecting expeditions now deploy novel techniques like environmental DNA sampling and cultivation-independent approaches to detect diverse microbial communities.
Deep-sea research incorporates remotely operated vehicles and autonomous ocean platforms to obtain samples from unexplored ocean zones. Recent advances in genome editing using CRISPR speed up genetic engineering of marine organisms. Bioprocess technologies optimize extraction and production of biomolecules on industrial scales. Microbioreactors and bioreactors simulate ocean conditions to mass culture microbes and marine plants outside their natural habitat.
Governments and private fundings support establishment of specialized research facilities having sea-water aquaria, culture laboratories and isolated containment systems. Collaborations between marine research organizations, academia and biotech companies foster innovation. Advance technologies will propel the next wave of marine bioproducts by enabling large-scale commercial farming of organisms and wider exploitation of ocean resources.
Market Trends and Key Players
The global marine biotechnology market demonstrates a rising trend and is projected to reach USD 642 million by 2026 progressing at 8% CAGR during forecast period according to recent reports. Key areas attracting major investments include marine genomics, biologics, biomolecules and enzymes, and bio-based chemical production. North America currently holds a major share led by USA. However Asia Pacific region is emerging as a hot-spot with China and India emerging as strong economies.
Major players in this expanding market include companies like CP Kelco, BASF, DSM, Epax, DSY, Novasep, Kerry Group, FMC Health and Nutrition, Lonza, Cargill, and DuPont. These players focus on R&D of marine-derived products and production processes. New entrants are biotechs working on drug discovery, renewable energy and aquaculture technologies. Collaborations between different industries ensure broader applications and commercial viability of marine biotechnologies. Governments across nations recognize the economic potential of blue biotech and support its growth through incentives, grants and infrastructure projects.
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