Marine Microbes & Bioremediation
Fig: Marine microorganisms
What
is Marine Microorganisms?
Marine biotechnology is the
process that intents to improve the opportunities and benefits for
the humankind through the applications
of the knowledge of biology from the marine bio
diversity. Marine habitat
constitutes almost 70% area of our earth’s surface. Oceans have
extreme temperature, light,
pressure with life such as the pressure under 11 km of sea level is
110 MPa and the temperature
can be from -35 ºC to 350 ºC. These factors change
very rapidly
in ocean and the organisms of
it has to survive in this changing situation which makes them
more adaptive. Microbes are the most varied and plentiful organisms of the whole world as they form almost 60% biomass of the total limit and processes more photosynthesis than the green plants of the earth. In marine environments, bioremediation can be an effective and attractive biotechnology to decrease the level of pollution, can make impact on climate, can demote pollutants of nature, can recycle nutrients and so on.
Bioremediation is a waste management technique
that involves treatment using naturally occurring organisms to break down
hazardous substances into less toxic or nontoxic substances. Bioremediation
utilizes the metabolic ability of the microorganisms to mineralize or transform
organic contaminants into less harmful substances which can be integrated into
natural biogeochemical cycles. It is non-destructive, treatment-, and
cost-effective and a logistically favourable clean-up technology.
Current
techniques in this bioremediation:
Fig: Applications of marin e microorganisms
Microorganisms, which have
biotechnologically significant traits, are present in both pelagic
and benthic zones of the
ocean. They also work as the store-house of toxins, molecules to pass
signals, some symbolic
metabolites which are vital in the perspective of biotechnology.
• The marine sponges have some marine microbial communities in them which are the source of vital chemicals.
• Problems
related to the synthesis of drug and testing of it can be solved by the
cultivation of marine
bacterial symbiont.
Fig: Bioremediation through microorganisms
• Culture
of marine microbes also allows sustainable and limitless supply of any
important
chemical or trait.
• Recently,
the organisms which are living in extreme condition under the sea has taken
under research works for
biotechnological applications as the source of biomolecules & also work on
piezophilic microorganisms for the waste deposal of deep ocean.
• Biodegradation of PAHs and other recalcitrant,
petroleum, diesel and plastic.
• They
can also be used to improve biocatalysts for the bioreactors which works in
high
pressure.
Advantages:
•We
can remove heavy metals from sea by bioremediation.
•Biodegradation
of organic pollutants by halophilic bacteria & archaea.
•Microbial
bioremediation of oil contaminated seawater.
• Can recycle some major chemical elements by taking them inside.
•We
can decompose dead and decaying matter from plants and animals, convert them
into simpler substances and later used up by other plants and animals.
• Improved
vaccines can be invented using them.
• Diagnostic
tools can be modified by using them.
• They
can also be used to control pests through biological ways.
• Plants
and animal pathogens can be modified to reduce the attack of virus.
Future
prospects:
• Marine
microbes can take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and regulate world’s
climate. This trait can be
used in another thing through the help of biotechnology.
• Marine
bacteria can be used to make more improved agro chemicals and new polymeric
materials.
• The
traits of Recycling the pollutions can be taken by the researchers and can
become
helpful to make a pollution
free earth.
• More
enhanced enzymes can be created for humankind through marine microbes.
Fig: Carbon fixation by marine microorganisms
Conclusion:
Fig: Marine microbes
The application of marine
biotechnology is now in an infant phage. Marine microorganisms
can easily give us many
economically worthy products which are helpful for humankind. In spite
of these huge opportunities
and their present applications in biotechnological field, this part
is still remaining untapped
as the task of knowing this complex system of microbial
communities is not so facile.
But, for the improvement of the reducing water pollution on earth,
and create a favorable
environment and climate, it is important to do
research works on marine
microorganisms and make a clean environment through bioremediation
Reference:
1. C,J,T. M,Z. F,J,L. G,M,R. G,I.V,C.M,R,M.( 8 June
2018) Exploring the Valuable
Carotenoids
for the Large-Scale Production by Marine Microorganisms
.VOL16(Issue6)page
203; https://doi.org/10.3390/md16060203
2.
R,G.C,M,S,G.L,C.R,N.L,A.(July 2017) Marine microorganisms
as a promising and
sustainable
source of bioactive molecules. Volume 128,
Pages 58-69
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.05.002
3.
K,C.I,A.H,K.(January 1996) Isolating and characterizing
deep-sea marine
microorganisms.Volume
14( Issue 1) Pages 6-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-
7799(96)80907-3
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