16 2010
Korean Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs announces establishment of Marine and Extreme Biosource Collection and Marine Biotechnology Research Center
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs announced that it established Marine and Extreme Biosource Collection and Marine Biotechnology Research Center provide information to domestic and foreign researchers.
The organizations were established by one of the Studies on Molecular Genomics of Marine and Extreme Organisms launched by the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute in 2004 and have information on marine and extreme organisms found in Pacific hydrothermal vents and cold seep communities, and Artic and subtropical areas.
The Marine and Extreme Biosource Collection (MEBiC) (www.megrc.re.kr/mebic) preserves and manages 5 divisions, 9 classes, 24 orders, 72 families and 233 genera of domestic and foreign marine microorganisms, and among them, NA1, is now being utilized to develop bio-hydrogen production technology, which will bring enormous economic benefits if successful.
Furthermore, the Marine Biotechnology Research Center (http://mbrc.kordi.re.kr/gbank), was established to integrate and manage genomic information on marine organisms of the Collection and provide genomic information on 417 marine organisms, about 10% of gene decoding research.
04 2010
5th International Conference on Marine Bioprospecting in Tromso; 23-25th February 2011
BIOPROSP is a leading international biennial conference series on bioprospecting from cold marine environments. These conferences aim to present explorative research and its industrial applications in an integrated fashion.
The focus in the 2011 conference will be industrial biotech and bioprospecting as a stepping stone towards the bioeconomy.
Target group: Academic and industry researchers, decision makers, regulatory experts, investors and public facilitators.
A number of interesting speakers from the USA, Russia, UK, Denmark, Switzerland and Norway have been invited. In addition there will be a half day pre-conference workshop: ‘Addressing industrial applications’ on 23 February 2011
Delegates are invited to participate with poster presentations, and a number of posters will be selected for oral presentation.
16 2010
New Deep Sea Species Uncovered
Scientists completing the last leg of MAR-ECO – an international research program and part of the Census of Marine Life, just returned from a voyage with samples of rare animals and more than 10 possible new species in a trip which they say has revolutionised their thinking about deep-sea life in the Atlantic Ocean.
The University of Aberdeen is leading the UK contribution to the project which involves scientists from 16 nations. Key collaborators in the UK include Newcastle University and the National Oceanography Centre.
16 2010
Indonesia And US Launch Deep-Sea Expedition
The first joint expedition by the Republic of Indonesia and the United States to explore unknown deep-sea areas in Indonesian waters is currently under way.
The expedition is the first activity in a multi-year partnership to advance ocean science, technology and education. This is the first expedition of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, and the first joint international expedition to send live images and other data from sea to scientists on watch at Exploration Command Centers ashore both in Indonesia and the United States.
23 2010
New Department of Marine Biotechnology and Institute of Fluorescence at UMBC, Baltimore, Maryland
From: Freeman Hrabowski, President, and Elliot Hirshman, Provost
We are delighted to announce the formation of the Department of Marine Biotechnology and the Institute of Fluorescence within the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. These exciting additions, which stem from the reorganization of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, enhance and expand UMBC’s capacity in the campus priority areas of research infrastructure and environment and sustainability. In addition, our students will benefit from wide-ranging educational opportunities within these innovative research programs.
Both groups will continue to be based at the Columbus Center in downtown Baltimore, and USM is transferring budgetary support for associated faculty, staff and operating costs. The Columbus Center houses state-of-the-art research facilities, including a 16,200 m 2 fully-contained, recirculating marine aquaculture facility, a versatile high-volume fermentation facility, a fully functional Biosafety level-three suite and a wide array of advanced molecular and biotechnology instrumentation including digital holographic microscopy.
26 2010
Korea to explore ocean for future natural resources, including efforts to foster a marine biotechnology sector
South Korea imports most of its energy needs from outside, leaving itself extremely vulnerable to sudden changes in the price of oil and other raw materials.
Coupled with the rapid depletion of natural resources, surging demand from China, India and other fast-growing emerging economies raises the price of crude and other commodities sharply, weighing heavily on the Korean economy.
To secure a stable supply of energy resources and achieve a sustainable growth, the nation should turn its eye to the sea and make larger investments to explore a range of minerals on the sea bottom, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI) President Kang Jung-keuk stressed.
The institute is undertaking several economic feasibility studies on the construction of electric power plants using tidal currents in the West Sea, while working on the state-of-the-art technologies to produce bio-ethanol from marine algae.
`Generating electricity from tidal currents and extracting fuel from marine plants are environmentally friendly and renewable energies, which will help Korea reduce its imports of conventional fossil fuels, boost economic activities and create jobs. We will also make effort to foster a marine biotechnology sector by studying microorganisms that inhabit the most extreme living environments under the sea. By examining them, we could obtain materials for new medicines and create a range of benefits for humans,” Kang said.
21 2010
Trius Therapeutics Awarded U.S. Department of Defense Contract to Develop Novel Antibiotics from Marine Natural Product Libraries
Trius Therapeutics, Inc. today that it has been awarded a new four and a half year contract from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense, for the development of novel antibiotics directed against gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Trius may receive up to $29.5 million in support of development efforts under the new DTRA contract, which is funded as part of DTRA’s Transformational Medical Technologies Initiative (TMTI). Pursuant to the contract, Trius will apply its proprietary Focused Antisense Screening Technology (FAST) discovery platform to identify the targets of antibacterial compounds from marine natural product libraries developed in the laboratory of Dr. William Fenical, Distinguished Professor of Oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
Trius will then apply its structure-based drug design and development capabilities in an effort to optimize promising antibacterial compounds for activity against gram-negative biodefense pathogens such as Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Trius believes that these compounds will also be active against gram-negative pathogens involved in common hospital acquired infections.
14 2010
Unigen and University of Prince Edward Island Embark on Major Scientific Marine Collection Project
Unigen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading natural products R&D company and proprietary rights supplier, and the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), have announced a partnership, which is the first step in an exciting process of collecting marine organisms from the Atlantic Ocean, with an eye to screening the samples for creating therapeutic and commercial products.
Unigen has been collecting plants and other organisms since 1997. Their research and discovery includes extensive work at both the human cell and gene level. Unigen focuses on identifying and studying the unique ingredients of medicinal botanicals and then developing proprietary raw materials for use in cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, functional food and pharmaceutical products. However, the current project will be the first time the company has developed a marine collection.
Researchers anticipate collecting a diverse range of marine organisms – invertebrates such as sponges, corals (non-reef builders), tunicates, and echinoderms, as well as algae, all of which will provide a wealth of information that will lead to discoveries of new chemical entities and novel natural, therapeutic commercial products.
Leading the collection process is Dr. Russell Kerr, Canada Research Chair in Marine Natural Products at UPEI. Dr. Kerr has been collecting and studying specimens in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas for over 20 years.
14 2010
Final Program Available for Marine Biodiscovery Event in the UK, June 2010
This meeting, coinciding with the opening of the new £1.6M Marine Biodiscovery Centre, will address the potential for new products and processes from the marine environment, with a particular emphasis on the technical challenges and realising successful outcomes. This will cover novel pharmaceuticals and high value chemicals such as biomaterials, nutraceuticals and personal care products as well as novel enzymes with unique activities. Academic and industrial aspects will be presented and there will be a showcase for Scottish companies and facilities.
06 2010
Marine Ingredients Poised For Accelerated Development
Inside Cosmeceuticals posted an editorial feature we recently wrote on the future for Marine Ingredients. Read more below:
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Many believe the ocean is where life first started. Then it is no surprise, perhaps, that the biggest potential source for new, bioactive ingredients for the health and beauty market may originate from the same place. With so many new species of marine life still to be discovered, the potential for new marine-derived compounds and extracts is immense, and the industry is poised for accelerated development in the near future.
Later this year, the final results of the Census of Marine Life will be revealed. This 10-year ambitious initiative, driven by a global network of researchers in about 80 nations, is intended to assess and explain the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life in the world’s oceans. This massive study will tell us about newly identified marine organisms and marine life not previously known. This news is exciting, as new promising bacteria, organisms and compounds will be likely discovered, providing a potential treasure trove of new marine ingredient products.
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