Diversity and Biotechnological Potential of Marine Microorganisms

Dear Colleagues,

Marine microorganisms make up more than 90% of the sea biomass. This microflora constituted by bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses remains largely unexplored. The extent of marine microbial diversity has not been clearly established, but it is estimated that some 91% of species remain to be discovered. The habitat of these marine microorganisms is extremely diverse such as polar ice, deep sea, tropical sea, coral reef, marine sediments, mangroves, etc. The harsh chemical and physical conditions of the ocean have favored the production of unique bioactive compounds that differ from terrestrial microorganisms. Some of these metabolites may find biotechnological applications in different areas, including agri-horticulture, functional foods, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. These must be developed together with the discovery of new cultivation methods, advancements in molecular biology tools, and the implementation of sequencing programs that will help in disclosing the huge potential of these marine microorganisms.  

This Special Issue welcomes scientific contributions on the following topics:

• findings in marine microbial biodiversity (the identification of new marine fungal, bacterial, or microalgae species);
• innovative approaches in cultivation methods;
• advances in biotechnological applications of marine microbial derived products (i) such as microbial lipids, fatty acids, pigments, aromas, phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, and enzymes for food technology, and (ii) marine-derived bioactive molecules like alkaloids, terpenoids, cyclopeptides, and lactones with great potential in nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, or pharmaceuticals;
• and genetically applied research including metagenomics, proteomics, combinatorial biosynthesis, expression systems, and bioinformatics.

Dr. Yanis Caro
Dr. Juliana Lebeau
Prof. Thomas Petit
Guest Editors

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