The marine environment is host to a wide range of environments, including high pressure, extreme temperatures, and varying degrees of salinity and pH conditions. Discovery and commercialization of marine products from organisms in these environments present unique challenges because of typically low concentrations of usable agents found in the producing organisms, and the lack of engineered systems required to cultivate large quantities of phototropic and extremophile microorganisms. Initially, MarBEC's research activities will focus on product discovery and modification of marine organisms, and development of broadly applicable bioreactor systems for phototropic microalgae, Bacteria and Archaea. In later years, research emphasis will expand in the areas of bioreactor design and scale-up, and in product separation, purification, and formulation. See MarBEC's strategic plan illustration .
Marine microorganisms produce a diverse array of chemical compounds.
Thrust I, Marine Bioresources, encompasses product discovery and optimization from marine microalgae, Bacteria and Archaea, from the unique resources of the Hawaiian archipelago and the culture collections available to MarBEC researchers. New techniques for sampling and cultivating microorganisms from these environments will be developed. Screening techniques for target compounds will be further developed, including these for carotenoids, PUFAs, UV-B blockers, antivirals and antibiotics. These techniques will be based on HPLC, GC and biological assays. Provisions of samples of microorganisms and their extracts to MarBEC industrial collaborators are being examined.