Work package CO 3: Natural marine resources and mariculture
This work package focuses on strategies and rationale for the sustainable use of marine
living resources with special emphasis on substances of potential value and methods of
marine aquaculture. It aims to investigate natural substances in individual marine organisms
and in complex biocoenoses with respect to their natural functions and their potential uses,
e.g. as biopharmaceuticals. Of special interest is the understanding of the relationships and
interactions in symbioses. Marine organisms have well-developed metabolic capabilities
often not found in their terrestrial relatives. Therefore, the potential to discover new,
unknown, pharmacologically active substances with diverse properties is very high.
Interdisciplinary research, combining the experience of natural sciences with biotechnology
and process development is a crucial prerequisite for investigations in this field. Bundling of
these expertises will thus act as a nucleus for an innovative centre for research on marine
natural substances within the Research Field 2.