AQUATIC BIOTECHNOLOGY

A Resource Guide for Biotechnology Club

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NSF Award # 0401988

This chapter contains background information, experiment ideas and contact suggestions. Topics covered include:

Aquaculture

Therapeutic/medicines

Aquatic health and seafood safety

Algae cultivation

Aquatic Biotech Page 1

Aquatic Biotechnology

The has the oldest, most diverse, most numerous and least studied organisms on earth. It covers almost three fourths of our planet and has the potential to feed the world and supply cures for many diseases. Studying plants and is a challenge that is becoming easier due to advanced technologies such as deep-sea submersibles, sonar, lasers, videos, and satellites. Biotechnology contributes to current or potential uses of marine products in the areas of:

Aquaculture* Conservation of marine ecosystems Therapeutics/medicines* Aquatic animal health and seafood safety* Biomedical research Algae cultivation*

*The items indicated are presented in more detail for possible club/classroom adaptation.

Aquatic Biotech Page 2 Aquaculture: Increasing the World’s Food Supply

Aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic animals and plants for recreational or commercial purposes. It is very similar to land-based farming techniques with species being grown to be used for human consumption, baitfish, growing pearls, isolating pharmaceutical agents, breeding ornamental and propagating fish to stock recreational areas. Eggs and sperm from breeder fish are harvested from adults, fertilized and develop into embryos in special tanks before being transferred to outdoor . Researchers use selective breeding techniques to produce animals with desirable characteristics. Scientists are also studying the genome of different species to identify genes that contribute to properties such as growth rate, fat content, texture, taste, color and disease resistance to produce transgenic fish with enhanced properties.

Internet background:

A New Kind of Fish Story: The Coming of Biotech Animals (Click here for web snapshot) Page 9 http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/101_fish.html#creating

TheFishSite.com - the website for fish production & aquaculture! Current news articles on Health & Welfare, Hatcheries, Reproduction & Genetics, Feeds & Nutrition, Technology & Equipment, Biosecurity & Hygiene, Environment, Water Quality, Transport, Processing, and Markets & Economics. http://www.thefishsite.com/features.asp

NOAA's Undersea Research Program 1315 East-West Highway, R/NURP - Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: (301) 713-2427 Marine Biotechnology. Videos available from home page. http://www.nurp.noaa.gov/Biotech.htm

Lab activity:

Transgenic : This site contains a complete unit on the various aspects of transgenic salmon. After looking at the pros and cons, students are given a role-play position and required to encourage voters to support or reject the creation of transgenic salmon. A copy of the lesson is included in this publication. (Click here for web snapshot) Page 10 http://www.wabr.org/education/articles/2002TransgenicSalmonUnit.doc

Local Contacts:

Aquatic Biotech Page 3

The Texas Aquaculture Association is an association of entities with interest in the commercial production of shrimp, redfish, tilapia, channel catfish, hybrid striped bass, baitfish production as well as the production of stocker fish, ornamental fish, and and lake management. LABB Director: Dr. Markus Horning Ft. Crockett Campus, Bldg 3311 annex, Galveston, TX Laboratory for Applied Biotelemetry & Biotechnology at the Department of at Texas A&M University Galveston! http://www.texasaquaculture.org/id4.htm

Fish Health and Genetics Laboratory at A.E. Wood Fish Hatchery located in San Marcos, TX (Click here for web snapshot) Page 17 http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/management/hatcheries/fw_fish_lab/

Texas Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service 2700 Earl Rudder Freeway South, Suite 1800 College Station, TX 77845 979.845.3854 http://texas-sea-grant.tamu.edu/mas/index.php

Field Trip:

Lake Jackson Fish Hatchery: Free tours of facility are available. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/ fish/management/hatcheries/

Aquatic Biotech Page 4 Therapeutics/Medicines

Currently, relatively few products derived from aquatic organisms are used in medical applications, but this is rapidly changing. A wide number of marine species contain compounds of interest including antibiotics, antiviral molecules, anticancer compounds, and insecticides. Some examples of marine animals and their special characteristics include: Salmon: produce calcitonin (needed to prevent osteoporosis) with 20 times higher bioactivity than that of human calcitonin. Corals: produce Hydroxyapatite (HA) which is an important component of bone and cartilage. Researchers are hoping to implant HA into fractured bones or around the root of a . Mussels: produce byssal fibers which are protein-rich super adhesives used for clinging to rocks or pilings. Scientists are using recombinant DNA techniques to express the byssal fiber genes in bacterial and yeast to produce these adhesive proteins on a large scale. Potential uses include auto tires, shoes, bone and teeth repair, surgical sutures and artificial tendon and ligament grafts. Pacific sponges: produce Manoalide which is a non-steroidal compound. : has been shown to contain anti-tumor and cancer-treating abilities. Pufferfish: produce one of the most toxic poisons ever discovered (nearly 10,000 times more lethal than cyanide). Dogfish sharks: contain a steroid called squalamine that appears to be a potent antifungal that may be used to treat life-threatening fungal infections. Snails: have a neurotoxin that has painkiller properties 10,000 times more potent than morphine without the side effects.

The development of drugs from marine organisms can be highly profitable. The extraction of arabinosides from the sponge, Tethya crypta, leads to more than $50 million annual sales in derived antiviral medicines. Pseudopterosins are a type of chemical with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties which were discovered in a coral, Pseudoterigorgia elisabethae, in the Bahamas. Eventually a pure form was developed and is now used in Estee Lauder skin care products. In 1995 pseudopterosin was among the University of California's top ten most valuable royalty generating inventions. Today it has an annual market value of $3-4 million.

In addition to pharmaceuticals, biotechnologists are studying from a biomedical approach in order to better understand the human body. Biologists value marine organisms because they serve as excellent models: simple versions of more complex organisms. Studying life processes in marine animals, scientists learn how the same events occur in the human body -- and how they go awry when disease strikes.

Aquatic Biotech Page 5 Internet background:

Cloned Gene from Sea Animal May Prove Key in Cancer Drug Development Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and their colleagues have taken a significant step forward in developing a new method to produce drug compounds with potential to treat various types of cancer. Includes video clips. (Click here for web snapshot) Page 12 http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/article_detail.cfm?article_num=661

Ocean Sponge Has Best Fiber Optics by VIKRAM C. SUNDAR, ANDREW D. YABLON, JOHN L. GRAZUL, MICHA ILAN & JOANNA AIZENBERG, Nature 21 August 2003 The spicules of the deep-sea 'glass' sponge Euplectella have remarkable fiber-optical properties, which are surprisingly similar to those of commercial telecommunication fibers. (Click here for web snapshot) Page 13 http://www.nature.com/cg ... a_fs.html. (full article available with subscription) http://www.phschool.com/science/science_news/articles/channel_deepc_light.html

Marine Biological Laboratory: Why Study Marine Organisms for Biomedical Research? Nice information pages with videos. http://www.mbl.edu/marine_org/marine_why.html

Marine pharmacology: Information on a career in marine pharmacology (Click here for web snapshot) Page 14 http://www.amsa.asn.au/pubs/CIMS/pharmacology.html

Aquatic Biotech Page 6 Aquatic Animal Health and Seafood Safety

Biotechnology provides opportunities for improving the health of aquatic organism and the safety of the food supply. More than 50 diseases affect fish and and cause millions of dollars in losses each year. Many molecular probes and PCR-based assays are being developed for detecting bacteria, viruses and parasites that infect fish and shellfish. A hand-held antibody test kit has been developed to detect Vibrio cholerae, the virus that causes cholera, in oysters. Gene probes have been developed to detect several viral diseases of shrimp. Harmful algal blooms and/or anthropogenic toxins have the potential to cause great harm to . Unique biosensors are being developed to inform scientists of increasing levels of specific biomarkers. Moreover, specific marine bacteria have been developed that can aid in the clean-up effort if a toxic spill should occur; thus biotechnology can help society by protecting the environment as well. Marine biotechnologists are also interested in developing vaccines for pathogens that pose threats to fish cultivated by aquaculture. As fish are not easily vaccinated, biotechnology is researching innovative solutions.

Aquatic biotechnologists are also working to detect contaminated seafood by identifying genes with encoded toxins.

Internet background:

Birch Center at Scripps Nice site for information on toxic red tide (Click here for web snapshot) Page 15 http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/learning/learning_res/creature_features/redtide.cfm

Local Contacts/Field Trip:

Visit a local aquarium/fish supplier, for example: Aquarium Creations 936-273-6300 Clearwater Aquarium Service 936-756-9200

Contact the Houston Aquarium Society for speaker concerning fish health/disease issues. Their website also has a list of all their local sponsors who might be willing to arrange a field trip or speaker. http://www.houstonaquariumsociety.org/

Landry’s Downtown Aquarium The Downtown Aquarium has special events for students (“marine biologist for a day”, etc.) and might be able to tailor a field trip to meet your specific educational objectives. http://www.aquariumrestaurants.com/downtownaquariumhouston/flash_content/index.ht ml

Algae cultivation

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Algae are a group of photosynthetic eukaryotes used throughout the world for various products, including food. The world algae harvest is about 4 million tons a year. The California kelp forests have been harvested since the early 1900s. Today, algae is used in such food items as pastry fillings, syrups, frozen desserts, relish, dessert gels, salad dressings, beer, fruit juice, and milkshakes. It is used in industry for paper coating, adhesives, textile dyeing, air freshener gels, explosives, toys, ceramics, welding rods and cleaners. It is also used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The demand for agars often exceeds the harvest. Genetic manipulation of cultured algal strains might enhance growth and be more disease resistant and cell culture techniques might increase the amounts produced.

Algae also have the potential to provide an alternative to fossil fuel as algae can produce large amounts of hydrocarbons derived from either fatty acid or isoprenoid biosyntheses. In the future algae may be genetically modified to synthesize gasoline-type fuels.

Internet background:

Birch Aquarium Center at Scripps Great, simple information on kelp and algae. Interactive website for information. (Click here for web snapshot) Page 16 http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/learning/learning_res/voyager/kelpvoyager/kelpus9.html

Aquatic Biotech Page 8 Return to text http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/101_fish.html#creating

Aquatic Biotech Page 9 Return to text http://www.wabr.org/education/articles/2002TransgenicSalmonUnit.doc

Aquatic Biotech Page 10 Return to text

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/management/hatcheries/fw_fish_lab/

Aquatic Biotech Page 11 Return to text http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/article_detail.cfm?article_num=661

Aquatic Biotech Page 12 Return to text http://www.phschool.com/science/science_news/articles/channel_deepc_light.html

Aquatic Biotech Page 13 Return to text http://www.amsa.asn.au/pubs/CIMS/pharmacology.html

Aquatic Biotech Page 14 Return to text

http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/learning/learning_res/creature_features/redtide.cfm

Aquatic Biotech Page 15 Return to text http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/learning/learning_res/voyager/kelpvoyager/kelpus9.html

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