Ocean life boosts innovation – new study maps genes in novel database

The ocean hosts an extraordinary level of biodiversity, with countless species yet to be discovered. When it comes to bioprospecting – the search and discovery of potential products from animals, plants and microbes – the ocean is still an untapped frontier.

A new study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, has mapped what kind of genes derived from marine life have been referenced in patented innovations during the past 30 years.

Marine genes are not just scientific curiosities; they are pivotal players in a myriad of applications, ranging from pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to climate regulation. However, the actual and potential values of such marine genetic resources is poorly understood today. That’s why the research team, including Centre researchers Erik Zhivkoplias, Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Agnes Pranindita and Robert Blasiak, has collected information on patents involving marine genes in a new database.

“To our knowledge, this is the first database that combines in-depth information about who filed for the patents with data on which species had been used,” explains lead author Erik Zhivkoplias.

The database, named MArine Bioprospecting PATent (MABPAT), includes more than 100,000 gene sequences associated with nearly 5000 different patents.

The MABPAT database is available for everyone.

“By making it publicly available, we hope to enable further research efforts to inform improved policymaking,” write the authors.

A handful of key actors

In their analysis of the mapped data, the scientists found that marine bioprospecting is a field dominated by a few actors. Only about 100 applicants stood for more than half of all patents. And of these 100 organisations, the vast majority are located in three countries: the USA, Germany and Japan.

Insights from the utilized species show that microbes and deep-sea living organisms are getting more attention. However, the authors report that most of the genes referenced in patents do not share species names, which has created a significant data gap in understanding the true scope of marine bioprospecting. Thanks to the new model developed by the authors, it is now possible to more reasonably and comprehensively estimate patent shares across nations and actor types.

“These findings and the database we created can help foster a sustainable use of marine biodiversity”, says Erik Zhivkoplias. He continues:

“However, it is vital that policymakers take necessary steps to enable stewardship of deep-sea ecosystems.”

Bioprospecting in areas beyond national jurisdiction, which account for the majority of the ocean, has only recently been targeted in an international agreement, the UN High Seas Treaty of 2023. However, it will take time until the treaty is implemented. In the meantime, the scientists hope that the database can be a basis for voluntary collaborative work on conservation and sustainable use of marine genetic resources.