Biotechnology Priority Area

BIOTECHNOLOGY -- Goal: Use Marine Biotechnology to Create and Enhance Products and Processes from Florida’s Coastal Resources

Marine biotechnology seeks to discover, develop and use products and processes from the living resources of the sea, apply biotechnological advances to protecting ocean resources, and promote health and security as humans interact with the ocean environment. Particularly through investigations at the cellular and molecular levels, scientists address very diverse subjects including bioactive compound characterization and synthesis, detection and remediation of coastal environmental contaminants, identification of ocean products, improvement of aquaculture practices, and biomedical research using marine systems as models. Florida’s overall biotechnology industry ranks 10 th in sales among all states nationally. The marine biotechnology business sector is equally small, with only a few aquatic-oriented companies. In 2004 what may be the state’s first exclusively marine-focused bioproducts life science company was established. National and perhaps world attention has focused on Florida recently due to a blockbuster package of state and local incentives to create a Florida facility of The Scripps Research Institute. Very recently, two other major organizations have launched expansions into Florida. Partly as a result, out-of-state venture capitalists are expressing serious interest in Florida for the first time, in a climate of heightened energy for Florida biotechnology. Meanwhile, the State Legislature has funded marine biotechnology research and development in academic and private non-profit laboratories.

A. Develop Marine Bioproducts and Sustainable Sources of Supply

1.	Develop either biological routes for synthesis, or culture procedures for production of compounds of commercial, health and environmental importance, such as small molecules or enzymes.
2.	Determine the mode of action and properties of compounds derived and isolated from marine organisms, and with apparent or preferably defined applications in medicine, nontoxic control of biofouling/corrosion and other commercial/industrial applications.
3.	Create novel methods for marine byproducts utilization in situations where demand can be established reasonably.
4.	Isolate, identify and determine the function of enzymes controlling processes of potential or preferably characterized commercial benefit.

B. Promote Human and Oceans Health, Productivity and Security

1.	Develop cost-effective diagnostic tools including chemo and biosensors for assessment of seafood contaminants and water-borne pathogens and pollutants, and improved evaluation and prediction of human and environmental health risks.
2.	Develop forensic and monitoring practices for taxonomic identification in situations including possible economic or natural resource management fraud involving either seafood products or marine species of endangered/threatened status, for consumer, business, conservation and regulatory applications.
3.	Develop habitat restoration and remediation techniques, using molecular and cellular approaches for improvement of coastal plant strains, hybrid development and production technology for coastal emergent and aquatic vegetation and improvement of methods for microbial remediation of polluted environments.

C. Improve Health and Production of Marine Organisms

1.	Promote the health of sustainably cultured and collected captive marine plant and animal species of economic importance through attention to pathogens, diagnostics, treatments, drug delivery systems, immunology, physiology and pharmacology, to positively affect growth rate, disease resistance, survivorship and reproduction.
2.	Develop technology to culture cells of marine organisms with desirable properties to produce useful biochemicals such as enzymes, pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals for which economical supply is required.