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<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=5 face=Arial>Scientists start to tap marine microbes for
biotech use</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=7 face="Arial Black"><FONT size=2
face=Arial>Michelle Dobrovolny</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=2 face=Arial>04/11/13</FONT></STRONG></DIV></FONT>
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<DIV class=right>[PARIS] The hot, brackish waters of French Polynesia’s lagoons
in the Pacific could harbour <A
href="http://www.scidev.net/global/environment/bioprospecting/"
target=_blank><FONT color=#1e648c>microbes with huge commercial
potential</FONT></A>, including for <A
href="http://www.scidev.net/global/health/medicine/" target=_blank><FONT
color=#1e648c>drug creation</FONT></A> or to produce alternatives to plastics,
say researchers.<BR> <BR>The extreme conditions found in some Polynesian
aquatic <A href="http://www.scidev.net/global/environment/biodiversity/"
target=_blank><FONT color=#1e648c>ecosystems</FONT></A>, which are often
characterised by high temperatures and salinity, mean that unique marine
bacteria have evolved there. These organisms produce compounds with possible
applications in innovative pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.<BR><BR>But the field
remains under-researched, according to Polynesian <A
href="http://www.scidev.net/global/enterprise/biotechnology/"
target=_blank><FONT color=#1e648c>biochemist</FONT></A> Bernard Costa, who says
that just three per cent of the world’s marine bacteria have been
identified.<BR><BR>Costa co-established what he says is French Polynesia’s first
biotechnology company, Pacific Biotech, in 2006 to develop applications from the
archipelago’s marine bacteria.<BR><BR>The company is hunting for useful marine
bacteria alongside French research bodies the Institute of Research for
Development, the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea and the
National Centre for Scientific Research.<BR><BR>Their research focuses on
exploring French Polynesia’s unique marine ecosystems, such as the
<EM>kopara</EM> — lagoons with bright orange ‘microbial mats’ sitting on the
water that develop in response to high salinity and the Sun’s intense
radiation.<BR><BR>“The microorganisms develop internal defence systems that
allow them to respond to extreme conditions, often producing unique molecules
that promote the development of life in these conditions,” says Costa.</DIV>
<DIV class=right> </DIV>
<DIV class=right>For example, Pacific Biotech has discovered a bacterium called
<EM>Paracoccus zeaxanthinifaciens</EM><EM> payriae </EM>that produces
exopolysaccharide molecules with commercial potential as moisturisers and
antioxidants.<BR><BR>It has also identified the <EM>Pseudomonas guezennei</EM>
bacterium, which secretes a form of natural polyester called
polyhydroxyalkanoate that could form the basis of a biodegradable packaging
material.<BR><BR>“It’s a compelling alternative to the production of plastic,”
says Costa, as it would not be made from crude oil but from a renewable
source.<BR><BR>The molecules could be made commercially with an industrial
fermentation process, such as that used to produce beer, according to
Costa.<BR><BR>Bacteria are already used as the sources of compounds in
commercial products ranging from drugs to washing powder, but it is only
recently that researchers have begun <A
href="http://www.scidev.net/global/indigenous/news/asia-pacific-may-benefit-from-marine-bio-prospecting.html"
target=_blank><FONT color=#1e648c>bioprospecting for new marine
bacteria</FONT></A>, says Lone Gram, a biotechnology researcher at the Technical
University of Denmark.<BR></DIV>
<H6 class=right><BR><STRONG><FONT size=3>Unique marine
organisms</FONT></STRONG></H6>
<DIV class=right><BR>"The ocean is loaded with organisms that are unique to the
marine environment,” Gram says. Because conditions in the oceans and land are
totally different, many scientists think that marine organisms are likely to
produce bioactive molecules that are distinct from the ones we know from
land-based organisms, he adds.<BR><BR>Gram says compounds from marine bacteria
could be used as anticancer drugs, to treat antibiotic-resistant infections or
in biofuel production.<BR><BR>About 50,000 compounds derived from microorganisms
are produced commercially, according to Costa, but only a few hundred come from
marine bacteria.<BR><BR>As the marine microbiology industry is still young, new
applications could be found among the millions of bacteria that have yet to be
identified, according to Gram, who says that only a small percentage of marine
bacteria have been grown in laboratory conditions.<BR><BR>“What we don’t know is
if the 99 per cent of organisms that we are not able to culture right now
potentially harbour significant biotech potential,” she says.<BR><BR>French
Polynesia’s waters are roughly equal in area to Europe, meaning the archipelago
could hold a vast area of resources, according to Costa.<BR><BR>“In French
Polynesia, we have relatively few elements to support real economic
development,” he says. “It’s important that we find economic activities to
support a new path to development. Our biodiversity is an important resource but
using it as a means to economic development isn’t a clear-cut solution. Over
here, the resources available force us to do a little head scratching to find
their uses.” <BR></DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>