Aquaculture and Blue Biotechnology

Objectives

1. To recognize the main production systems of marine organisms and their economic relevance and biotechnological applications within the medicine, pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries,

2. To understand the process from bioprospection to production and related research.

3. To understand main cultivation and organism production techniques

4. To become familiar with some biotech lab techniques as extraction procedures and activity testing

5. To perform analytic thinking in collecting, interpreting, and communicating experimental data

Program

The discipline focuses on marine organisms and resources, as well as their biotechnological applications. It begins with the selection, bioprospecting, and aquaculture of marine organisms, highlighting key production systems and objectives. It then explores various applications of Blue Biotechnology, including the biotechnological potential of marine microbes, food production, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, industrial biotechnology, and bioremediation. The program also examines marine-derived molecules, covering biodiversity, chemical ecology, ethical considerations in bioprospecting, and advanced screening techniques. Additionally, it addresses sustainable biofuel production from marine biomass and concludes with an analysis of Blue Biotechnology’s impact on the marine bioeconomy.

Teaching Methodologies

The discipline will be taught in weekly sessions of 4 hours. The theoretical concepts taught in the lectures complement each other in more interactive and hands-on lessons, including a field visit to an aquaculture facility and lab sessions. Biotechnology researchers and entrepreneurs will be invited to classroom seminars. Students will be led to do literature research and data collection, as well as perform sampling and practice some laboratory techniques. The practical classes will be subject to evaluation through the delivery of scientific reports, where students should be able to demonstrate the ability to relate the conceptual framework to explain and critically discuss the observed results. This practical work is also designed to stimulate curiosity and scientific reasoning and universal work skills such as teamwork.

Bibliography