Researchers sequence the genome of global deep ocean

June 19, 2013 |

In Spain, Spanish researchers coordinated by the Spanish National Research Council have to sequence the genome of the global deep ocean. They are using more than 2,000 samples of microorganisms collected in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans during the Malaspina Expedition. Jesús María Arrieta, CSIC researcher at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, explains: “The number of marine species used as a source of genes with commercial interests grows at a rate of 12% per annum. The biotechnological potential of marine organisms is immense, especially in the deep ocean. We hope that the genes collected in Malaspina Expedition open the door to multiple biotechnological applications in fields such as bioenergy, food or cosmetics.”

Category: Research

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