Marine Biotechnology

Marine organisms are a remarkable source of pharmaceuticals, industrial enzymes and novel materials. The session covers marine natural product drug discovery (cone-snail conotoxins, sponge-derived compounds), marine enzymes for industrial applications (cold-active proteases, ice-binding proteins), blue carbon and marine biofuels (microalgae and macroalgae), sustainable aquaculture and selective breeding, algal protein production at scale, and marine biodiversity prospecting under the Nagoya Protocol. Discussion addresses deep-sea bioprospecting controversies, marine genetic resources and access-benefit sharing, marine biotechnology in low- and middle-income countries, and the integration of marine compounds into clinical pipelines for cancer, antimicrobials and pain.