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Topical Collection "Ocean4Biotech"

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A topical collection in Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397).

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Editors

Dr. Ana Rotter

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Collection Editor

Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Piran, Slovenia
Interests: transcriptomics; real-time PCR; bioinformatics and computational biology; differential gene expression; microarray analysis; high throughput sequencing; expression analysis; pathway analysis; cancer genomics; biological databases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Susana P. Gaudencio

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Collection Editor

UCIBIO—Applied Biomolecular Sciences Unit, Chemistry Department, Blue Biotechnology and Biomedicine Lab, Nova School of Science and Technology, Nova University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: marine natural products; structure elucidation; secondary metabolites; blue biotechnology; bioactive compounds from actinomycetes; drug discovery and biotechnological applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Katja Klun

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor

Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: biogeochemical cycling of organic matter and other elements in coastal seas; applied research in relation to the use of marine organisms

Dr. Marlen I. Vasquez
E-Mail Website
Collection Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
Interests: environmental toxicology; molecular bioassessment; water science and technology; aquatic ecosystems

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oceans will be our most valuable source of new products (from novel drugs to innovative biomaterials) to help us overcome societal challenges. Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, providing us with the tools necessary to answer important chemical and biological questions and promote scientific discoveries. Moreover, it is irrefutable that science and innovation, from basic research to applied sciences, must be performed in transdisciplinary groups. Ocean4Biotech—a European transdisciplinary networking platform for marine biotechnology—is a European-Commission-funded COST Action that aims to bring together multiple disciplines and include all relevant experts from marine-biotechnology-related fields. This Special Issue is open to all individual experts and researchers connected with Ocean4Biotech, relating to sampling methods, the discovery of natural marine products, process optimization, and use case scenarios. We believe that the research outputs that will be presented in this Special Issue will significantly benefit the global marine biotechnology sector and will place participants on the global map of marine biotechnology knowledge providers.

Dr. Ana Rotter
Dr. Susana P Gaudencio
Dr. Katja Klun
Dr. Marlen I. Vasquez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021, 2020

Open AccessReview

Overview and Challenges of Large-Scale Cultivation of Photosynthetic Microalgae and Cyanobacteria

Lucie Novoveská

Søren Laurentius Nielsen

Orhan Tufan Eroldoğan

Berat Zeki Haznedaroglu

and

Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(8), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21080445 - 10 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1140

Abstract

Microalgae and cyanobacteria are diverse groups of organisms with great potential to benefit societies across the world. These organisms are currently used in food, feed, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In addition, a variety of novel compounds are being isolated. Commercial production of photosynthetic microalgae and cyanobacteria requires cultivation on a large scale with high throughput. However, scaling up production from lab-based systems to large-scale systems is a complex and potentially costly endeavor. In this review, we summarise all aspects of large-scale cultivation, including aims of cultivation, species selection, types of cultivation (ponds, photobioreactors, and biofilms), water and nutrient sources, temperature, light and mixing, monitoring, contamination, harvesting strategies, and potential environmental risks. Importantly, we also present practical recommendations and discuss challenges of profitable large-scale systems associated with economical design, effective operation and maintenance, automation, and shortage of experienced phycologists. Full article

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Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Identification of Marine Biotechnology Value Chains with High Potential in the Northern Mediterranean Region

Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(7), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21070416 - 22 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1009

Abstract

Marine (blue) biotechnology is an emerging field enabling the valorization of new products and processes with massive potential for innovation and economic growth. In the Mediterranean region, this innovation potential is not exploited as well as in other European regions due to a lack of a clear identification of the different value chains and the high fragmentation of business innovation initiatives. As a result, several opportunities to create an innovative society are being missed. To address this problem, eight Northern Mediterranean countries (Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain) established five national blue biotechnology hubs to identify and address the bottlenecks that prevent the development of marine biotechnology in the region. Following a three-step approach (1. Analysis: setting the scene; 2. Transfer: identification of promising value chains; 3. Capitalization: community creation), we identified the three value chains that are most promising for the Northern Mediterranean region: algae production for added-value compounds, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and valorization aquaculture/fisheries/processing by-products, unavoidable/unwanted catches and discards. The potential for the development and the technical and non-technical skills that are necessary to advance in this exciting field were identified through several stakeholder events which provided valuable insight and feedback that should be addressed for marine biotechnology in the Northern Mediterranean region to reach its full potential. Full article

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Open AccessReview

Advanced Methods for Natural Products Discovery: Bioactivity Screening, Dereplication, Metabolomics Profiling, Genomic Sequencing, Databases and Informatic Tools, and Structure Elucidation

Berat Z. Haznedaroglu

and

Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(5), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21050308 - 19 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5661

Abstract

Natural Products (NP) are essential for the discovery of novel drugs and products for numerous biotechnological applications. The NP discovery process is expensive and time-consuming, having as major hurdles dereplication (early identification of known compounds) and structure elucidation, particularly the determination of the absolute configuration of metabolites with stereogenic centers. This review comprehensively focuses on recent technological and instrumental advances, highlighting the development of methods that alleviate these obstacles, paving the way for accelerating NP discovery towards biotechnological applications. Herein, we emphasize the most innovative high-throughput tools and methods for advancing bioactivity screening, NP chemical analysis, dereplication, metabolite profiling, metabolomics, genome sequencing and/or genomics approaches, databases, bioinformatics, chemoinformatics, and three-dimensional NP structure elucidation. Full article

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2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021, 2020

Open AccessEditor’s ChoicePerspective

Responsible Research and Innovation Framework, the Nagoya Protocol and Other European Blue Biotechnology Strategies and Regulations: Gaps Analysis and Recommendations for Increased Knowledge in the Marine Biotechnology Community

Xenia Theodotou Schneider

Belma Kalamujić Stroil

and

Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(5), 290; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20050290 - 26 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3512

Abstract

As the quest for marine-derived compounds with pharmacological and biotechnological potential upsurges, the importance of following regulations and applying Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) also increases. This article aims at: (1) presenting an overview of regulations and policies at the international and EU level, while demonstrating a variability in their implementation; (2) highlighting the importance of RRI in biodiscovery; and (3) identifying gaps and providing recommendations on how to improve the market acceptability and compliance of novel Blue Biotechnology compounds. This article is the result of the work of the Working Group 4 “Legal aspects, IPR and Ethics” of the COST Action CA18238 Ocean4Biotech, a network of more than 130 Marine Biotechnology scientists and practitioners from 37 countries. Three qualitative surveys (“Understanding of the Responsible Research and Innovation concept”, “Application of the Nagoya Protocol in Your Research”, and “Brief Survey about the experiences regarding the Nagoya Protocol”) indicate awareness and application gaps of RRI, the Nagoya Protocol, and the current status of EU policies relating to Blue Biotechnology. The article categorises the identified gaps into five main categories (awareness, understanding, education, implementation, and enforcement of the Nagoya Protocol) and provides recommendations for mitigating them at the European, national, and organisational level. Full article

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2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2020

Open AccessArticle

The Diversity, Metabolomics Profiling, and the Pharmacological Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from the Estremadura Spur Pockmarks (Portugal)

António Pinto-Almeida

Alejandra Prieto-Davó

Deniz Tasdemir

Rita G. Sobral

and

Susana P. Gaudêncio

Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20010021 - 23 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3473

Abstract

The Estremadura Spur pockmarks are a unique and unexplored ecosystem located in the North Atlantic, off the coast of Portugal. A total of 85 marine-derived actinomycetes were isolated and cultured from sediments collected from this ecosystem at a depth of 200 to 350 m. Nine genera, Streptomyces, Micromonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Actinomadura, Actinopolymorpha, Nocardiopsis, Saccharomonospora, Stackebrandtia, and Verrucosispora were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analyses, from which the first two were the most predominant. Non-targeted LC-MS/MS, in combination with molecular networking, revealed high metabolite diversity, including several known metabolites, such as surugamide, antimycin, etamycin, physostigmine, desferrioxamine, ikarugamycin, piericidine, and rakicidin derivatives, as well as numerous unidentified metabolites. Taxonomy was the strongest parameter influencing the metabolite production, highlighting the different biosynthetic potentials of phylogenetically related actinomycetes; the majority of the chemical classes can be used as chemotaxonomic markers, as the metabolite distribution was mostly genera-specific. The EtOAc extracts of the actinomycete isolates demonstrated antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Altogether, this study demonstrates that the Estremadura Spur is a source of actinomycetes with potential applications for biotechnology. It highlights the importance of investigating actinomycetes from unique ecosystems, such as pockmarks, as the metabolite production reflects their adaptation to this habitat. Full article

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2020

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2021

Open AccessReview

Marine Anticancer Agents: An Overview with a Particular Focus on Their Chemical Classes

Marilia Barreca

Virginia Spanò

Alessandra Montalbano

Elisabeth Taffin-de-Givenchy

and

Mar. Drugs 2020, 18(12), 619; https://doi.org/10.3390/md18120619 - 04 Dec 2020

Cited by 56 | Viewed by 9373

Abstract

The marine environment is a rich source of biologically active molecules for the treatment of human diseases, especially cancer. The adaptation to unique environmental conditions led marine organisms to evolve different pathways than their terrestrial counterparts, thus producing unique chemicals with a broad diversity and complexity. So far, more than 36,000 compounds have been isolated from marine micro- and macro-organisms including but not limited to fungi, bacteria, microalgae, macroalgae, sponges, corals, mollusks and tunicates, with hundreds of new marine natural products (MNPs) being discovered every year. Marine-based pharmaceuticals have started to impact modern pharmacology and different anti-cancer drugs derived from marine compounds have been approved for clinical use, such as: cytarabine, vidarabine, nelarabine (prodrug of ara-G), fludarabine phosphate (pro-drug of ara-A), trabectedin, eribulin mesylate, brentuximab vedotin, polatuzumab vedotin, enfortumab vedotin, belantamab mafodotin, plitidepsin, and lurbinectedin. This review focuses on the bioactive molecules derived from the marine environment with anticancer activity, discussing their families, origin, structural features and therapeutic use. Full article

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Published Papers (6 papers)

2023

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2022

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2021

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2020

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