Marine Bio.

Biotechnology is a risky business. More than 14,000 biotechnology companies have been founded since 1980 but only five are on record as being profitable (Liles 250). However, despite the low industry revenues, biotechnology is a promising field and many discoveries have been made as a result of this industry which have proven or promising medical applications. Biotechnology researchers explore terrestrial plants and microbial fermentation in order to discover novel chemicals or novel properties in known chemicals that may have applications useful to man. The rain forest has provided many of these novel chemicals used in everything from anticancer pharmaceuticals to cosmetics. However, the number of novel chemicals from these sources is in decline. This has led biotechnology researchers to begin exploration of the last vast unexplored region of the earth�the ocean. In 1991, the Office of Technology defined marine biotechnology as "any technique that uses living marine organisms (or parts of these organisms) to make or modify products, to improve plants or animals, or to develop microorganisms for specific uses" (Burris 235).

Biotechnology has been used for years to help solve medical, environmental and nutritional problems. However, marine biotechnology is an industry in its infancy stages, one where the hype and hope often overshadow the fact that very few recent drugs or other major products have resulted from its endea

Related Essays

Marine Ecosystems & Pollution Around the world, marine ecosystems are being threatened, degraded, damaged or destroyed by human activities, one of which is pollution (Looser, Froescheis .... (2792 11 )

Recruits in the Marine Corps .... With respect to anticipatory socialization, the Marines flood American society with propaganda that glorifies the Marine Corps. .... (1261 5 )

Marine Life The stories in Linda Svendsen's Marine Life are stories of a particular family, as told by the narrator, Adele, the youngest child in a family of half-brother .... (1300 5 )

Product Design at Regal Marine The concept of product life cycle applies to Regal Marine products as a means of continually introducing new products into its existing line. .... (717 3 )

Impact on Marine Environment of Oil Spills .... While oil-tanker accidents achieve far-flung notoriety and are widely reported, they are not the only way in which oil can reach the marine environment. .... (1747 7 )

as tetrodotoxin. (Molecular 2) There are many obstacles in discovering and understanding marine organisms. Many times the quantity of material required to produce a useful amount of chemical presents an obstacle to development. Other challenges include the cost of obtaining the organisms when they are only found deep below sea level. However, these natural products are useful in that trace amounts of chemicals can be used as models that may reveal how to create synthetic or man-made materials from the natural substance. These are less costly to produce but still retain the desirable characteristics of the naturally occurring substances. On the other hand, many sea organisms are already under study and many have provided useful human applications. For example, the farming of seaweed has resulted in the production of biopolymers which have the potential for many industrial uses. One use is in food and cosmetics which take advantage of the chemical properties in carrageenan. Other organisms provide biomedical applications from nutrition to dentistry, "Marine glues which adhere firmly underwater are being developed from the naturally-produced byssal glues of mussels. Such adhesives can be used in bone and teeth repair a

Category: Science - M