Systems biology solutions to challenges in marine biotechnology

Kazim Y Arga,Esra Gov

doi:10.3389/fmars.2014.00014

Abstract

Marine biotechnology can be considered as the use of marine bioresources as the target or source of biotechnological applications. Despite many successes have been achieved in marine biotechnology, still many gaps remain to be filled in our basic knowledge on marine science before it could be fully exploited. Systems biology focuses on complex interactions within biological systems, using a holistic approach instead of the traditional reductionism. Marine ecosystems, with different levels of organization at different scales, are ideal benchmark for designing integrative and systems biology approaches. On the other hand, except a few pioneering applications to marine ecology, systems biology approach to marine science is still at its infancy, and marine biotechnology could not benefit from the blessings of systems biology yet. Here, with its inherent holistic philosophy and multidisciplinary nature, systems biology perspective was proposed as a new driver toward seeking solutions to the grand challenges of marine biotechnology.

Highlights

Marine biotechnology can be considered as the use of marine bioresources as the target or source of biotechnological applications
Marine biotechnology can be thought of as the use of marine bioresources as the target or source of biotechnological applications, and includes marine organisms used as feedstock, products extracted from marine organisms or developed in laboratories using the knowledge of the natural processes or properties of marine organisms, processes catalyzed by marine organisms, ecosystem services, the application of biotechnology knowledge to fish health and welfare, and understanding and mapping of ecosystems based on generic biotechnological tools and knowledge (Pulz and Gross, 2004; Leary et al, 2009)
Systems biology as a driver for marine biotechnology field include the use of micro- and macroalgae for the production of biofuel (Rajkumar et al, 2014) and the development of small bioactive molecules to increase the sustainability of marine renewable energy sources (Trincone, 2013)