Blue Biotech

What Is Blue Biotech, Really?

At its core, blue biotechnology is about exploring marine biodiversity to develop new drugs, materials, enzymes, and food systems. It blends marine biology, molecular biology, and biotechnology to solve human problems — from antibiotic resistance to climate change.

But to understand blue biotech, we first have to recognize something fundamental:
Life began in water. And it is sustained by it.

Over 70% of Earth’s surface is covered in water, and aquatic ecosystems represent more than 90% of the planet’s biosphere by volume. The ocean alone contains millions of species, many of which remain completely uncharacterized at the genetic or biochemical level. This vast reservoir of biodiversity is a largely untapped source of biologically active compounds, metabolic pathways, and resilient biomaterials, many of which cannot be found in terrestrial organisms.

Water: More Than a Medium — A Resource at Risk

While water seems abundant, usable freshwater is one of the world’s most limited and unevenly distributed resources. Only about 2.5% of Earth’s water is freshwater, and much of that is locked in glaciers. As climate change, industrialization, and population growth continue, water scarcity is becoming one of the most pressing global issues of the 21st century.

Biotechnology (and particularly blue biotechnology) has an increasingly vital role to play in addressing this crisis:

Marine and freshwater microbes are being used in bioremediation to clean up polluted water sources.
Genetically engineered algae and microbial consortia are being developed to desalinate seawater, break down waste, and improve wastewater treatment.
Biotech-driven aquaculture systems can reduce water use and pollution while increasing food security.
Synthetic biology tools are helping scientists design biosensors that detect water contaminants quickly and affordably.

Marine Natural Products

“The ocean is nature’s weirdest pharmacy.”
Many marine organisms — especially sponges, mollusks, and sea squirts — produce bizarre, chemically complex compounds to defend themselves. And lucky for us, some of those compounds also happen to kill cancer cells, block viruses, or stop bacteria from replicating.
Scientists dive in (literally and figuratively) to extract, purify, and test these compounds — and then figure out how to mass-produce them without angering an endangered sea slug.

Marine Bioremediation

“When bacteria clean up after us because we can’t be trusted with oil.”
Some marine microbes naturally break down pollutants, like petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Blue biotech is learning how to enhance, direct, or engineer these clean-up crews, helping us undo ecological disasters with life instead of chemicals.

Microalgae & Macroalgae Engineering

“Tiny green factories that eat CO₂ and poop out omega-3s.”
Algae are kind of the unsung heroes of Earth. They produce more oxygen than rainforests, absorb carbon, and grow fast without needing arable land. We’re engineering them to produce nutrients, fuels, pigments, and even plastics.
Also: future burgers might contain algae. Future jet fuel might come from algae. Honestly, algae might save the planet. They're busy.