Marine Bio- technology
"the exploration of the capabilities of marine organisms at the whole, cell, or molecular level, to provide solutions to today's problems, with the use of technology to advance the understanding and accessibility of marine biological material."
Researcher
The greater diversity of life in the oceans than on land stems from the far larger range of environmental conditions that occur beneath the waves.
A rapidly growing field of marine research is seeking to harness the natural genetic diversity of the oceans and apply it to everything from modern medicine to industrial processes.
Marine biotechnology encompasses marine biomedicine (new pharmaceuticals discovery), materials technology, bioremediation, marine biomedical model organisms, molecular genetics, genomics, bioinformatics and much more.
The number of different biotechnological applications remains to be investigated. Existing applications have already advanced pharmaceutical discovery, the development of new resources and industrial processes, and the process of removing pollutants from the environment.
A major research focus at UWA is on marine microbes and seabed invertebrates, and their potential applications in areas as diverse as disease control and industry. Much of the research involves acquiring a basic knowledge of these marine organisms and their ecology, and subsequently identifying features with potential applications.
Research projects
Among our current projects are:
- studies of marine viruses and their potential use in the control of bacterial pathogens and bacterial disease
- investigations of the production of antimicrobial agents by marine bacteria
- research into the chemical ecology of marine microbes and invertebrates, and how unique chemicals they produce can be used to inhibit the bacterial communication processes that lead to disease, biofilm formation and biofouling.
University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
