What Blue Biotechnology (BBT) Is

Marine or Blue biotechnology involves the exploration and exploitation of the diverse marine organisms for the purposes of developing new products.  It is a sector which encompasses all works that involves marine bio-resources, either as the source or as the target of biotechnology applications. BBT is very important because its applications can fit into any of the four other (colored) biotechnologies, i.e. industrial processes (white biotechnology), agricultural processes (green biotechnology), environmental processes; monitoring & depollution (yellow biotechnology), and health and medical processes (red biotechnology). As an economic sector, blue biotech has the potential to address a suite of global challenges such as sustainable food supplies, human health, energy security and environmental remediation. BBT is a sector that offers high-skilled employment and significant jobs opportunities in downstream industries.

Applications of Blue Biotechnology

Some industrial sectors have developed deep and extensive engagement with blue biosourced materials and are using them in their products. For example;the cosmetic sector is heavily investing in the marine biotechnologies for the development of high-end products such as Anti-ageing, anti-wrinkle, Anti-inflammatory, anti-irritants, skin soothing products, etc. The exploration of the sea biodiversity is also enabling the development of new pharmaceuticals and industrial enzymes of high economic value and the health and pharmaceutical sector is outlaying investment in blue biosourced materials for the development of new Biotechnology Pharmaceuticals in areas such as Gene therapy. Metagenomics, Cancer therapy, Fertility, Dermatology, Antibacterial, Antioxidants, radical scavengers etc. Also, the food and nutrition sector which has a history of investment in aquaculture is deeply connected with bioprospecting through which it is looking to incorporating new ingredients issued from blue biotechnologies such as gums (i.e. the guar gum) and  specific fatty acids (i.e. omega-3) and other such functional ingredients into standard their food and nutritional products. Similarly, the oil industry now uses special biopolymers and other marine derived products in processes called “Enhanced Oil Recovery” and “Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery” to improve crude oil extraction yield. Also, the plastics industry is benefiting from the use of biosourced polymers synthesized from marine bacteria to produce new products which are more easily degradable, while the environmental protection and depollution sector is using various properties of biosource materials such as metal fixation, hydrocarbons degradation etc in environmental remediation works.

Strategic Gifts from the seas

The still underexplored and under harnessed territories of the ocean spaces, constituting about 72% of the surface of the earth, holds more than 95% of earth’s biosphere. It is a space that holds diverse and unique marine organisms and plant life with potentials to address a suite of global challenges. These resources are among the strategic (blue) gifts of the ocean to mankind.

Bioeconomy Resouces

The products and by-products of marine organisms and plant life constitutes the raw material resources driving the global bioeconomy. These products find applications in diverse industrial sectors, including, food, health, medicine and pharmaceutical, agriculture, energy, environment de-pollution etc. The bioeconomy industry is a major creator of upscale jobs and employment opportunities.

New drugs, cures and solutions

Blue (marine) biotechnology products are applied in the development of unique health and wellness products such as anti-ageing, anti-wrinkle, anti-inflammatory, anti-irritants, skin soothing products. They also find applications in areas such as gene therapy. metagenomics, cancer therapy, fertility, dermatology, antibacterial, antioxidants, radical scavengers etc

Innovative products and solutions

The exploration of the sea biodiversity is enabling the development of new top end, cutting-edge products and innovative solutions across a wide range of industries. It is the discoveries of bio-explorers and bio-prospectors, and research works of scientist in universities, research institutions and industry laboratories that are making these innovative products and solutions possible.

Valuable gifts from the sea

The oceans and seas are home to innumerable organisms and plants. These organisms and plant life whose processing provides production materials for a wide range of industries and industrial processes are some of the extremely valuable gifts of the oceans and seas to humankind.