Biobanking marine organisms for research
and exploitation purposes
Kjersti Lie Gabrielsen, Marbank, Lisbon, 14 Dec 2011
© S.- R. Birkely, Marbank
The Government will regulate marine genetic
resources and make them more accessible to
researchers, industry and international participants
The Government will invest in national infrastructure
and strengthen the research as well as the system for
commercialization of results
Marine bioprospecting:
” The search for interesting and unique genes, molecules and
organisms from the marine environment with features that may be
of benefit for society/have value for commercial development”
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Drugs/pharmaceuticals
Industrial products/enzymes
Fine chemicals
Ingredients in food and feed
Environmental bioremediation
Petroleum and energy exploitation
Cosmetics
Bioprospecting is based on Biodiversity
Most bioprospecting has so far been based on the
rich species diversity of the Tropics
but extreme habitats are specifically interesting for
their biochemical diversity!
e.g.
• deserts (xerophiles)
• hot springs/ hydrothermal vents (thermophiles)
• salt mines and soda lakes (halophiles)
• Arctic/Antarctic and marine habitats: (psychrophiles)
The Arctic marine environment is unique:
•Extreme light conditions
•Variation in ice-conditions
•Low temperatures (-1.8 to 8°C)
Largely unexplored!
Good potential for finding
unique molecules!
Novel areas → Novel organisms → Novel compounds …
Marine resources ”up-north”
•Impressive biological diversity of coldadapted organisms, represented by
invertebrates, algae, and microorganisms
© Bjørn Gulliksen, UoT
…from Magdalenafjorden, Spitzbergen
Marbank objectives
• Marbank has a national responsibility for collecting and
preserving marine biological resources for research and
exploitation purposes
• The mission is to give academia and industry easy access to
quality assured marine samples
• Marbank is established in close cooperation with the
Norwegian ministry of fisheries and coastal affairs and marine
research institutions in Norway
Sampling area
Marbank collects
samples from Norwegian
waters including the
Barents Sea and waters
around Svalbard.
The Marbank Collection
Microorganisms
Taxonomic sample
Algae
Frozen org. /isolate
Plankton
Water extract
Invertebrates
Organic extract
Vertebrates
Genetic material
Marine bioprospecting
€
€
€
€
- Establish a Network of Marine Collections in Norway
The Norwegian Network of Marine Biobanks
Tromsø
Bergen
Trondheim
Norwegian
Academia&Industr
y
International
Academia&Industry
others..
Defined ownership to all samples
Guidelines and contracts (MTA)
withdrawal of samples
for
The Norwegian Network of Marine Biobanks
Centralized functions:
•National Database
•Methods & QA
•Juridical aspects/terms of access
•Business policy & marketing
•Central repository
“One stop shop”
- Establish regulations and guidelines for access to
Norwegian marine genetic resources
Regulations of access
Ensure proper and sustainable collection and
exploitation activities in accordance with
national requirements and international legal
principles
•
•
•
•
The Norwegian Marine Resources Act
The Norwegian Nature Diversity Act
The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Diagram of Maritime Zones
(Image: Environment Australia)
The Marine Resources Act
• Marine bioprospecting is specially regulated in the
Norwegian Marine Resources Act § 9 and § 10
• The provisions provide the legal basis for drawing up
regulations where the Government can request
permission to search for and exploit marine genetic
material and the Government can request a share of
the benefits that result from this activity
The Government will ensure that
the guidelines governing the use
of material from Marbank are
developed and clearified in order
to improve predictability
→ Professionalizing the biobank activity opens
for extended international cooperation on the
Arctic marine resources !
Thank You!
Contact:
kjersti.gabrielsen@uit.no
MARBANK, University of Tromsø
9037 Tromsø
Norway