Blue Biotechnology

The second edition of the International Summer School of Blue Biotechnology (ISSBB) will take place, from October 1st to 4th 2024, at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn of Naples (Italy). The school will be dedicated to PhD students, Post-Doc, and early career researchers working in the field of blue biotechnology. The four days of summer school will be focused on current interdisciplinary approaches used to disclose biotechnological potential of marine resources and their use for ecosustainable production of products and processes with beneficial effects on human and environment health. A combination of lectures, short communications, practical afternoon sections and visit to a local marine biotechnology company (Arterra Bioscience, Naples) will create a stimulating environment for participants. Evenings are always reserved for social events in Naples, which can increase exchange of ideas among participants and create new long-lasting collaborations.

Course leader

The organizing committee is composed by Dr. Donatella de Pascale (head of Ecosustainalbe Marine Biotechnology Department) and Chiara Lauritano, Daniela Coppola and Christian Galasso (Researchers at the Ecosustainalbe Marine Biotechnology Department)

Target group

The school will be dedicated to PhD students, Post-Doc, and early career researchers working in the field of blue biotechnology, chemical ecology and applied microbiology.

Course aim

4 main topics

Day 1: Marine Bioprospecting and Funding Opportunity

The first day will focus on systematic and multidisciplinary approaches to find biocompatible components, bioactive compounds with possible applications for human health and well-being, gene clusters of biosynthetic pathways and innovative ecosustainable processes for industry. Starting point of the discovery process is usually represented by sampling and isolation of marine organisms, like bacteria, fungi, viruses, microalgae, sea plants, shellfish, corals, sponges and other marine organisms. Relevant areas of potential applications may include medicine, processing industries, food, feed, and agriculture. Then, the discussion will include a talk on the funding possibilities, research infrastructures and technology transfer. During the afternoon practical section, students will acquire essential knowledge on bioinformatic tools useful for the genome mining process.

Day 2: Environmental biotechnology and Waste Valorization

Human activities produce a detrimental impact on the marine environment. Innovative bioremediation methodologies will be presented during the last day, focusing on the use of marine organisms for the reduction of most harmful contaminants and restoration of polluted marine environments. In addition, examples of biotechnological exploitation of marine waste will also be presented, through the development of sustainable protocols and innovative technologies for the extraction and use of biomaterials, with a significantly reduced impact on the environment and economy. At the same time the discussion will focus on the importance of the development of the circular economy, aimed at the use of discarded and underutilised biomass, which allows to achieve the “European Zero Waste Strategy".

Day 3: Meet the Companies

The pipeline from research to commercialisation of marine products is often presumed to be long-term, costly and demanding on business expertise. International speakers from biotechnology industries will illustrate how innovative methodologies are attempting to reduce time, augmenting success rate. Ecosustainable and rapid processes for the discovery and production of new marine-inspired pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and functional cosmetics will be the main topic of the second day. Purified marine products and complex mixtures of bioactive compounds can be used for the creation of innovative products, for the prevention of common diseases and the reduction of the natural ageing process. Platforms for the identification of bioactivity, optimization of biomass production and prototyping of marine derived commercial products are the main issues of this research field. Moreover, all participants will have the chance to present their research and results through poster presentations, while selected abstract will be chosen for short talk presentations. During the afternoon, all participants will visit the Arterra Bioscience, a biotech company founded in Napoli twenty years ago with the aim of developing technologies and innovative marine-inspired solutions that find application in various industrial sectors.

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Day 4: EUREMAP: how a consortium can optimise marine bioprospecting pipeline

The EUREMAP consortium endeavors to optimise Europe's marine bioprospecting pipeline, leveraging European Research Infrastructures (RIs) including EU-OPENSCREEN, EMBRC, and ELIXIR. This integration aims to enhance competitiveness in marine natural products discovery for drug development and bolster the blue bioeconomy. EUREMAP will establish a novel trans-RI integrated service, supporting the discovery of bioactive compounds from marine organisms through innovative technology, thereby strengthening the capacity of European RIs and fostering collaboration across academia and industry in the multidisciplinary field of marine biotechnology.