Bioprospecting involves systematically searching for useful products from biological resources like plants, microorganisms, and animals that can be developed and commercialized for societal benefit. It generally consists of four phases: sample collection, isolation and characterization of compounds, screening for potential uses, and product development and commercialization. Microbes, extremophiles, fungi, algae, and other organisms provide sources for bioprospecting and have led to discoveries like antibiotics, enzymes, bioplastics, and more. While bioprospecting has benefits, issues around benefit-sharing with indigenous groups and biopiracy must be addressed.

1. Bioprospecting
Submitted By: Preeti T.
No:121069020
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Bioprospecting
Bioprospecting is defined as a systematic and organized search
for useful products derived from bioresources including
plants, microorganisms, animals, etc., that can be developed
further for commercialization and overall benefits of the
society.

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Process of Bioprospecting
• As a process, it generally consists of four phases:
• Phase 1: on-site collection of samples
• Phase 2: isolation, charactisation and culture of specific
compounds
• Phase 3: screening for potential uses, such as
pharmaceutical or other uses
• Phase 4: product development and commercialisation,
including patenting, trials, sales and marketing.

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Fig:1 Schematic representation of a rationalized bioprospecting process
Source: South Africa's bioprospecting, access and benefit-sharing legislation: current
realities, future complications, and a proposed alternative
Neil R. Crouch South African Journal of Science

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Microbial Source For Bioprospecting
Microbial Metabolites Microbes from marine sources have a
rich potential of antimicrobial active principles for protecting
themselves from their predators
 Due to the rich potential bioactive metabolites in the marine
microbes, it may be used as drugs directly or used as lead
structures for drug discovery
Nowadays the antibiotic resistance and problems increased
and alternative discovery needed.

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Extremophilic Origin
Psychrophiles, Thermopiles, Halophiles &
Alkaliphiles
Molecular Biology Taq DNA Polymerase- Thermus aquaticus Thermostable
restriction enzymes
Agro & Food Industry Thermophilic amylases and cellulases: Bakery, glucose and
fructose production Freezing protection Antifreeze proteins from psychrophiles
Pharmacological Industry
Biosurfactants: Glycolipids, lipopeptides, fatty acids, polymeric surfactants &
particulate natures
Bacteriocin: Ptoteinaceous nature had antibiotic activity
Liposomes: phospholipids for vaccine delivery
Polyhydroxybutyrate: Bioplastic

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Fungal Origin
Widely distributed in deep sea to polar ice covers, occur
in sediments, dead organic matter, driftwood, algae, corals
and sponges etc.
Huge potential for new natural products and an increased
number of new metabolites have become known over the
past years.
 In hydrothermal sea ecosystem, unsuspected high
diversity of fungal species identified with novel secondary
metabolites recently
Vast source of diverse antimicrobial compounds mostly
inhibit Gram negative bacterial pathogens, HIV virus and
fungus.

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Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)
 Crystal jelly fish Aequorea victoria
238 amino acid (26.9 kDa)
Molecular biology- Reporter gene expression
Biosensors
 Clone in viral vector protein
 localization in living organisms
Bacteria, Yeast and other Fungi, fish plant, fly, and
mammalian cells etc

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Crystal jelly fish Aequorea victoria
Source- Google Image

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ALGAL NATURAL PRODUCTS
Algae have a tremendous impact on the sustainability of the
marine ecosystem as being the primary producers and, therefore,
a food source for other marine organisms.
Microalgae synthesize bioactive molecules such as pigments
and lipids that exhibit health properties.
Types of Algae Seaweed:
Macro; benthic & muticellular algae
Microalgae: Diverse group of unicellular; occupy fresh, marine
& extreme environments

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Algae produce oxygen in space
Chlorella and Euglena grown in photo bioreactor is used
to produce oxygen in the space for the Astronauts using
their waste and help them for long term expedition in
space NASA and many other space research station in
the world open opportunities for planktologist

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Algal Bioplastics
Typically, long chain polymers, present in the algae lipids are used
for making bioplastics Algae is attractive for bioplastics because
of its high growth rate and high protein content.
The plastics market is worth more than $400 billion and has grown
at an average of 3.5% per year over the last two decades.

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Algal Biogas Production
In a biogas reactor the substrates used are converted in several
reaction steps into biogas, consisting mainly of the components
CH4 and CO2
The biogas yield of plants is generally limited by the greater or
lesser proportion of lignocellulose, which is difficult to recycle.
However, the use of microalgae with a low lignocellulose
content, for example Chlorella vulgaris, Phaeodactylum
tricornutum and Spirulina platensis, permits an almost complete
utilization of the organic substance.

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Algal Biogas Production

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Algal Biogas Production
Source: Integrated biodiesel and biogas production from microalgae: Towards a
sustainable closed loop through nutrient recycling
Author -Lina MaríaGonzález-González Diego F.Correa

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Merits Of Bioprospecting
 Important phenomenon for new discovery of drugs.
Discovery of several life-saving drugs including anti-
neo plastic drugs.
Economical value of plants and living organisms for
pharmaceutical purposes is enormous and also to the host
country having indigenous species.

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Demerits Of Bioprospecting
The pharmaceutical companies cheat the local peoples
those who maintain the indigenous species, they don’t give
proper economical share to them.
When biodiversity or related knowledge is collected
without permission from the owners of these resources and
then patented, it is known as biopiracy.
Traditional or indigenous knowledge (IK).

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References
 South Africa's bioprospecting, access and benefit-sharing legislation: current
realities, future complications and a proposed alternative
Neil R. Crouch
(South African Journal of Science)
 Bioprospecting-H.S Sandhu (Punjab Agriculture University)
Integrated biodiesel and biogas production from microalgae: Towards a sustainable
closed loop through nutrient recycling
Author -Lina MaríaGonzález-González Diego F.Correa

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Thank You