Jamal Ouazzani
Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, France
Title: TASCMAR –Tools and strategies to access original bioactive compounds from cultivation of marine invertebrates and associated symbionts
Biography
Biography: Jamal Ouazzani
Abstract
TASCMAR is a European Commission funded project aspiring to develop new tools and strategies to overcome existing bottlenecks in the discovery and industrial exploitation of marine-derived bio-molecules (secondary metabolites and enzymes) with applications in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industries. Exploitation of neglected and underutilized marine invertebrates and symbionts from the mesophotic zone will be combined with innovative approaches for the cultivation and extraction of marine organisms, from lab to pilot-scale, including the construction of new biotechnological equipment. This approach will ensure the sustainable supply of biomass while promoting the production of high added value bioactive marine compounds. State-of-the-art analytical instrumentation and in-house databases will be employed for the de-replication and characterization of valuable compounds and a focused panel of in-vitro, cell-based, in-ovo and in-vivo bioassays, for discovering metabolites with anti-ageing and/or angiogenesis modulating activity, will guide the project’s workflow to reveal the lead compounds. In addition, the catalytic potential of mesophotic symbionts and deriving enzyme candidates will be evaluated in the fine chemicals and bioremediation industries. TASCMAR will be continuously evaluated for its socioeconomic and environmental impact in order to balance industrial development and sustainable growth. The project also aims to develop higher standards for bio-prospecting in areas of rich marine biodiversity.