What are the prospects for the development of marine biotechnology in the 21st century?

What is the specific content of the development prospects of marine biotechnology in the 21st century? Zhongda Consulting will answer it for you below.

Development Outlook In the past 10 years, due to the increasingly prominent strategic position of the ocean in the sustainable development of coastal countries and the deepening of human understanding of the particularity of the marine environment and the characteristics of marine biodiversity, marine biological resources have become more abundant. The development and utilization of marine biotechnology has greatly promoted the rapid development of marine biotechnology research and application. When the first International Marine Biotechnology Conference (hereinafter referred to as the MPS Conference) was held in Japan in 1989, only a few dozen people attended. However, when the fourth IMBC Conference was held in Italy in 1997, more than 1,000 people attended. Now the IMBC conference has become an important symbol of the development of global marine biotechnology, and there is a booming situation. "IMBC 2000" has just been held in Australia, and preparations for "IMBC 2003" have begun in Japan. Israel made early publicity in order to host "IMBC 2006" and won the right to host it. The IMBC, which is held every three years, not only attracts many high-level experts and scholars to display and exchange research results and explore new research and development directions, but also greatly promotes the development process of regional marine biotechnology research. On all continents, regional academic exchange organizations have been established, such as the Asia-Pacific Society for Marine Biotechnology, the European Society for Marine Biotechnology, and the Pan-American Society for Marine Biotechnology. Various countries have also established a number of research centers, among which the more famous ones are the Marine Biotechnology Center of the University of Maryland in the United States, the Marine Biotechnology and Environment Center of the University of California, San Diego, the Marine Biotechnology Center of the University of Connecticut, and the Marine Molecular Biology International Center of the University of Bergen in Norway. Research Center and Japan Marine Biotechnology Research Institute, etc. These academic organizations or research centers continuously hold various seminars or working group meetings to study and discuss marine biotechnology issues with regional characteristics. In 1998, with the support of the European Marine Biotechnology Society, the Japanese Marine Biotechnology Society and the Pan American Marine Biotechnology Association, the original "Journal of Marine Biotechnology" and "Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology" were jointly published as "Marine Biotechnology" Journal of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as MB T), it has now become an authoritative international publication. As a new subject area, marine biotechnology has been clearly defined as "the molecular biology of marine life such as cell biology and other technical applications."

In order to adapt to this rapid development situation, developed countries such as the United States, Japan, and Australia have successively formulated national development plans and identified marine biotechnology research as a priority development area in the 21st century. In 1996, China also lost no time in incorporating marine biotechnology into the National High-Tech Research and Development Plan (863 Plan), laying the foundation for future development. It goes without saying that so far, marine biotechnology has not only become a new research field developed at the intersection of marine science and biotechnology, but also an important part of the scientific and technological development of countries around the world in the 21st century and will show strong development momentum and huge application potential.

1. Development characteristics

1.1 Strengthening basic biological research is an important cornerstone for promoting the development of marine biotechnology research. Marine biotechnology involves the molecular biology, cell biology, and In order to have a solid foundation for its development, researchers attach great importance to relevant basic research in developmental biology, reproductive biology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, and even biodiversity and marine ecology. During the "IMBC 2000" conference, when the author of this article asked a senior attendee: What are the main improvements of this conference? He answered without hesitation: Research results at the molecular biology level have increased. And indeed it is. Statistics of recent research results show that basic research on marine biotechnology focuses more on molecular-level research, such as gene expression, molecular cloning, genomics, molecular markers, marine biomolecules, material activities and compounds, etc. These directional basic researches will have an important impact on future development.

1.2 Promoting traditional industries is the main aspect of marine biotechnology application. At present, the application of marine biotechnology to promote the development of marine industry mainly focuses on aquaculture and the development of marine natural products. This is also the research and development of marine biotechnology. Momentum is strong. The reason for being so energetic. In aquaculture, encouraging progress has been made in improving the reproduction, development, growth and health of important cultured species, especially in cultivating excellent traits and improving disease resistance, such as the breeding of fish genetically modified with growth hormone, Shellfish polyploid spawning, fish and crustacean gender control, disease detection and prevention, DNA vaccines and nutritional enhancement, etc.; in the development of marine natural products, the latest principles and methods of biotechnology are used to develop active substances that isolate marine organisms, Determining molecular composition and structure, biosynthetic methods, and testing biological activity have significantly promoted the industrial development of new generation biological products and chemicals such as new marine drugs, enzymes, polymer materials, and diagnostic reagents.

1.3 Ensuring the sustainable use of the marine environment is another important aspect of marine biotechnology research and application. The use of biotechnology to protect the marine environment, control pollution, and make the biological production process of marine ecosystems more effective is a relatively new one. In the field of application development, therefore, whether from the perspective of technology development or industrial development, it has huge potential to be tapped.

The research currently involved mainly includes bioremediation (such as biodegradation and enrichment, fixation of toxic substances technology, etc.), prevention of biological adhesion, ecotoxicology, environmental adaptation and toxicology, etc. Relevant countries regard "bioremediation" as an important bioengineering method for marine ecological environment protection and sustainable industrial development. The United States and Canada jointly formulated a marine environment bioremediation plan to promote the application and development of this technology.

1.4 Marine policies related to the development of marine biotechnology have always been issues of public concern, including the development strategy of marine biotechnology, patent protection of marine biotechnology, the importance of marine biotechnology to aquaculture development, and genetic modification The formulation and implementation of policies and regulations on species safety and control issues, the relationship between marine biotechnology and biodiversity, and marine environmental protection have attracted much attention.

2. Key development areas

Currently, the key research and development areas of international marine biotechnology mainly include the following aspects:

2.1 Developmental and reproductive biology Basic understanding of the physiological processes and molecular regulatory mechanisms of each link in the embryonic development, metamorphosis, maturation and reproduction of marine organisms is not only of great scientific significance for elucidating the molecular regulatory rules of growth, development and reproduction of marine organisms, but also for the application of biotechnological means. It has important application value to promote the growth and development of certain organisms, regulate their reproductive activities, and improve the quality and output of aquaculture. Therefore, research in this area has been one of the research focuses in the field of marine biotechnology in recent years. Mainly include: growth hormone, growth factors, thyroid hormone receptors, gonadotropins, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, growth-prolactin, osmotic pressure regulating hormone, reproductive inhibitory factors, oocyte final maturation induction factor, sex determining factors and Gene identification, cloning and expression analysis of sex-specific genes and other hormones and regulatory factors, as well as cell culture and directed differentiation of fish embryos.

2.2 Genomics and gene transfer With the implementation of global genome projects, especially the Human Genome Project, the study of structural genomes and functional genomes of various organisms has become a key research content in life sciences. Genome research of marine organisms , especially functional genomics research, has naturally become a new hot spot for marine biologists. The current research focus is on the complete sequence determination of the genomes of representative marine organisms (including fish, shrimp, shellfish, pathogenic microorganisms and viruses), and on specific functional genes, such as drug genes, enzyme genes, hormone peptide genes, disease resistance genes, etc. Cloning and functional analysis of genes and salt tolerance genes. On this basis, gene transfer, as an effective technical means for the genetic improvement of marine organisms and the cultivation of fast-growing and stress-resistant varieties, has become the focus of applied technology research and development in this field. In recent years, research has focused on the screening of target genes, such as disease resistance genes, insulin-like growth factor genes and green fluorescent protein genes as target genes. Large-scale and efficient transgenic methods are also key aspects of gene transfer research. In addition to traditional microscopy In addition to the injection method, gene gun method and sperm carrying method, retrovirus-mediated methods, electroporation methods, transposon-mediated methods and embryonic cell-mediated methods have been developed.

2.3 Pathogen Biology and Immunity With the gradual deterioration of the marine environment and the large-scale development of mariculture, disease problems have become one of the bottleneck factors restricting the development of the world's mariculture industry. Conducting research on the pathogenic mechanisms, transmission routes and interactions between pathogenic organisms (such as bacteria, viruses, etc.) and their interactions with hosts is the basis for developing effective prevention and control technologies; at the same time, conducting research on biomolecular immunology and immunogenetics of marine aquaculture , clarifying the immune mechanisms of marine fish, shrimp, and shellfish is of great significance for cultivating disease-resistant aquaculture varieties and effectively preventing and controlling the occurrence of aquaculture diseases. Therefore, pathogenic biology and immunity have become one of the key research areas of current marine biotechnology, focusing on the screening and cloning of pathogenic microorganism-related genes and marine organism disease-resistance-related genes, the establishment of marine invertebrate cell lines, and marine Discussion of biological immune mechanisms, development of DNA vaccines, etc.

2.4 Bioactivity and its products The separation and utilization of marine bioactive substances is another research hotspot in today's marine biotechnology. Current research shows that unique compounds are widely present in various marine organisms to protect themselves from surviving in the ocean. Active substances from different marine organisms show great application potential in biomedicine and disease prevention and treatment. For example, sponges are an important resource for the isolation of natural medicines. In addition, there are some marine microorganisms that are resistant to high or low temperatures, high pressure, high salt, and low nutrients. Research and development of these marine extreme organisms with special functions may yield new natural products that are not available on land. Therefore, The study of extreme organisms has also become a key aspect of marine biotechnology research in recent years. Research focuses in this field include anti-tumor drugs, industrial enzymes and other special-purpose enzymes, screening of specific functional genes in extremophiles, antimicrobial active substances, anti-reproductive drugs, immune-enhancing substances, antioxidants and industrial production.

2.5 Marine environmental biotechnology Research in this field focuses on the development and application of marine bioremediation technology. Bioremediation technology is a marine environment biotechnology that has a broader meaning than biodegradation and focuses on biodegradation. The methods include using living organisms or their products to degrade pollutants, reduce toxicity or convert them into non-toxic products, enrich and fix toxic substances (including heavy metals, etc.), and large-scale bioremediation also includes ecological regulation in ecosystems, etc. .

Application areas include large-scale aquaculture and factory farming, oil pollution, heavy metal pollution, urban sewage and other marine waste (water) treatment, etc. At present, the kinetic mechanism of microorganisms' response to the environment, the biochemical mechanism of the degradation process, biosensors, the biological relationships and mutually beneficial mechanisms between marine microorganisms and other organisms, the separation and purification of anti-adhesion substances, etc. are the areas in this field. important research content.

3. Latest research progress in cutting-edge fields

3.1 Development and reproduction regulation The application of hormones such as GIH (gonadal inhibitory hormone) and GSH (gonadally stimulating hormone) to regulate crustacean maturation and reproduction technology [1], studied the regulatory role of thyroid hormone in the growth and development of Jinshao, and found that the thyroid hormone receptor mRNA level was the highest in the brain, the lowest in muscle, and the expression levels in liver, kidney, and gills were medium. It was shown that thyroxine receptors play an important role in the adult gold and silver brain [1]. The homeobox genes of ascidians were identified, and 30 homeobox genes were isolated [1], establishing the structure of medaka. Homeobox gene [1], established a medaka embryonic stem cell line and obtained a chimeric medaka through cell transplantation [1], established a rainbow trout primordial germ cell culture and isolated the Vasa gene [2], and carried out Isolation and identification of reproductive inhibitory hormones from Penaeus monodon [2], application of receptor-mediated method to screen GnRH analogues for fish reproduction [2], establishment of sponge cell culture technology for drug screening [2], Established the sea urchin embryo as a model system for studying gene expression [2], carried out research on sea urchin embryo engineering through gene transfer [2], and studied the expression of human glucosyltransferase and rat hexokinase cDNA in rainbow trout embryos [3], established a method to measure the proliferation rate of seawater fish fry cells through cyclin-dependent kinase activity [3], studied the expression of chitinase genes during the molting process of Penaeus monodon, isolated from sea cucumbers The homeobox gene was sequenced [4].

3.2 Functional gene cloning The expression sequence signature of flounder liver and spleen mRNA A was isolated from a pressure-resistant bacterium in the deep sea. For stress-regulated operons, the estrogen receptor and thyroxine receptor genes were isolated from Atlantic salmon, and the gonadal inhibitory hormone gene was isolated from Norway shrimp [1]; DNA microarray technology was applied to sponge cell culture, A genetic linkage map of Penaeus banjie was constructed, a marine red algae EST was established, and the catalytic subunit of the mature proteasome was isolated from starfish oocytes, which preliminarily showed that teleost fish IGF-I pro-E peptide has anti-tumor effects [2 ]; Constructed a plasmid vector for marine yeast De-baryomyces hansenii, isolated and purified protease inhibitors from carp serum, isolated an antimicrobial peptide-like substance from blue crab blood cells, and isolated an actin promoter from red abalone subtype, found that cell cycle-dependent kinase activity can be used as a marker for cell proliferation in marine fish larvae, cloned and sequenced eel cytochrome P4501A cD-NA, and analyzed the promoter of eel cytochrome P450IAI gene by gene transfer method region, isolated and cloned the eel cytochrome P450IAI gene, established polymorphic EST markers suitable for genetic mapping, constructed a yellow-capped plaice EST database and identified some new genes, and established some tissues of Penaeus banjie Specific EST markers, 596 cDNA clones were isolated from flounder lymphocyte EST infected by Hirame Rhabdovirus virus [3]; a self-fertilizing hermaphrodite fish was cloned using PCR method? For an actin gene, the polypeptide elongation factor EF-2 cDNA clone was isolated from the golden sea bream cDNA library, and a TC1-like transposon element was found in the lake trout genome [4]; the identified and cloned genes include: White Penaeus vannamei Antimicrobial peptide gene, oyster allergen (allergen) gene, Atlantic eel and Atlantic salmon antibody gene, rainbow trout Vasa gene, medaka P53 genome gene, dinoflagellate eukaryotic initiation factor 5A gene, striped bass GtH (gonadotropin) Receptor cDNA, abalone actin gene, cyanobacterial pyruvate kinase gene, carp rhodopsin gene regulatory series and flounder lysozyme gene, etc. [1-4].

3.3 Gene transfer The salmon IGF gene and its promoter were isolated and cloned, and the salmon IGF (insulin-like growth factor) gene expression vector was constructed [1]. Through nuclear localization of signal factors Improved the integration rate of exogenous gene transfer into zebrafish eggs [1], established a fast-growing transgenic tilapia strain and conducted safety evaluation; triploidy was induced in transgenic tilapia and found that triploidy Although transgenic tilapia does not grow as fast as transgenic diploid fish, it is worse than non-transgenic diploid fish. At the same time, transgenic triploid female fish are completely sterile and therefore have promotion value [2]; ultrasonic treatment has been studied A technical method to promote the combination of exogenous DNA and golden sea bream sperm, using GFP as an indicator of transgene expression in cells and organisms; it shows that the transgenic channel catfish grows 33% faster than the control group, and the transgenic fish have poor ability to escape predators, so can be released into nature without causing great harm to the ecological environment [3]; GFP was used as a genetic marker to study the condition optimization and expression efficiency of zebrafish transgenes [3]; in terms of disease-resistant genetic engineering breeding, a Marine biological antimicrobial peptide and lysozyme gene expression vectors have been used and gene transfer experiments have been conducted [2]; in terms of types of transgenic research, it has gradually expanded from economically farmed fish to farmed shrimp, shellfish and some ornamental fish [2.3] .The exogenous gene was transferred into rainbow trout muscle through gene gun method and stable expression was obtained [4].

3.4 Molecular marker technology and genetic diversity were studied using fish gene introns as genetic diversity evaluation The feasibility of indicators, SSCP and sequencing methods were used to study the genetic diversity of several marine organisms in the Atlantic and Mediterranean [1]. Polymorphisms of digestive enzyme genes of Penaeus vannamei were studied [1]; parasitic protozoa were used The first internal spacer (ITC-1) sequence between the 18S and 5.8S ribosomal RNA genes was used as a marker to detect the degree of contamination of these pathogenic organisms in environmental water bodies. Study on inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity of crustaceans [2]; studied the mitochondrial DNA polymorphism of three populations of Penaeus monodon, and used PCR technology to identify the species specificity of Gobioid seedlings in Hawaii.