Abstract

Synthetic Biology and Genome Mining in the Discovery of Marine Natural Products

Author(s): Ellena Johnson

Oceans occupy about 70% of the earth's surface and are home to a vast ecosystem, chemical variety, and biological diversity. The natural circumstances of the sea encourage the synthesis of a wide range of new compounds with high medicinal potential in marine species. When compared to terrestrial animals, marine organisms have distinct structural and functional characteristics. The funding of various Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and Horizon 2020 projects under the theme "Blue Growth" demonstrates the rapidity of innovation in this sector.