Blue biotechnology
Aquatic Biotechnology /Marine Biotechnology
Biotechnology has a wide area like it relates all the biosphere in one word i.e. biotechnology. Biotechnology has an enormous scope. Biotechnology provides all the services that we use daily. When we see aquatic yes! there is also a biotechnology role. Biotechnology when concerned with water or we can say aquatic this type of biotechnology is known as Blue biotechnology.
Blue biotechnology deals with all aquatic life like fish, petroleum shellfish, sponges, etc. It is also concerned with oceans, lakes, streams, and rivers. In short, we can say that Blue biotechnology shows its application part of molecular biological methods that are applied to marine and freshwater organisms. Blue biotechnology is an application part of biotechnology that is associated with biodiversity in aquatic life.
5 Major Role of Blue Biotechnology :
The role of blue biotechnology is very vast like-
- It deals with the supply of food products that are derived from the marine. Marine food is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Marine life is also used in the production of sustainable sources of bioenergy and a good source of biorefineries. Marine biotechnology is used to improve microbial enhanced oil recovery.
- Blue biotechnology plays an important role to address key environmental issues like bioremediation, restoration, antifouling strategies, etc.
- The major application of blue biotechnology is shown in industries biotech sectors including Pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
- The most significant application of blue biotechnology is gene delivery to marine animals which is very helpful in the transgenesis process in fish that is very helpful for enhancing the fish quality, growth, resistance, salinity tolerance, metabolic modification, and fish farming production of pharmacological proteins, and productivity.
Two major applications of Blue Biotechnology used for humans:
- ‘Ziconotide’ ( i.e. derived from the venom of cone snails)is used as a painkiller that is also derived part of blue biotechnology. Ziconotide doesn't cause drowsiness as compared to other painkillers that cause drowsiness.
- Blue biotechnology is also used to prepare many cosmetic products that are derived from algae known as sugar kelp.
5 Main research areas of Blue biotechnology are:
- In Food blue biotechnology is used to develop innovative methods to increase aquaculture production. Microalgae are mostly used as food but also used as pigment sources such as Beta-Carotene.
- In Energy blue biotechnology ideas are used in the production of biofuels and biorefineries.
- In Health role of blue biotechnology is to find novel bioactive.
- In Industrial products blue biotechnology in the production of marine biopolymers for food, cosmetics, and health.
- In Environment blue biotechnology is used in Biosensing technologies and non-toxic antifouling technologies.
Blue Biotechnology is used in securing Industrial Products and Processes
- The widespread application of blue biotechnology in molecular biology is a Reporter protein that is derived from GFP ( Green Fluorescent Protein ) from Jellyfish and luciferase enzyme from Vibrio fischeri.
- Shrimp alkaline phosphate and other marine enzymes are used to simplify molecular biology reactions like PCR.
Products list based on Blue biotechnology :
- Marine-derived food additives: Spermine and Spermidine( Polyamines); Brown algae ( Sulfated Polysaccharides); Pigmented antioxidants in microalgae ( Astaxanthin).
- Marine-derived nutraceuticals: Bioactive peptides, seaweeds, Omega-3 oils, Fish oils.
- Marine-Derived E- Numbers : E 406-Agar( Gelidium , Pterocladia & Gracilaria); E 400–405 ( Alginates); E 407 ( Carrageenan).
The role of blue biotechnology is very to gain knowledge and benefits by applying it to aquatic organisms.
References:
https://explorebiotech.com/blue-biotechnology-introduction-and-applications/
https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-blue-biotechnology-applications-examples.html
