Honolulu Economic Development: Marine Biotechnology

Hawaii's physical setting and extensive marine science research facilities have made the state a significant player in the marine biotechnology industry.

The Marine Biotechnology industry searches for applications among the 30,000 known species of marine organisms for developing new drugs, vitamins, nutritional products, and enzymes.

Hawaii companies and institutes support a range of marine biotechnology research and development projects in Botanicals, Neutraceuticals, Phytopharmaceuticals, Aquaculture and Biomaterials.

Neutraceuticals, Botanicals and Phyopharmaceuticals

• Hawaii has major potential in the development of drugs and other pharmaceuticals derived from marine plants. 



• Researchers at College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) have already isolated and patented several new antibiotic drugs from marine algae. These drugs have immense potential to be used for controlling infections including the resistant Streptococcus strains. Cryptophycin in an anti-cancer drug developed at the University of Hawaii. 



• Hawaii's immense potential to excel in the neutraceuticals, botanicals and phyopharmaceuticals segment, arises due to the tropical climate that enables development of unique tropical plants. For example, the tropical plant kava has long been valued for its industrial and medicine properties apart from its cultural value.

Aquaculture

• Hawaii is also at the forefront of the global aquaculture industry. 



• Hawaii's pathogen-free and nutrient-rich deep water with an impressive variety of coral reefs, estuaries, ancient seamounts, manganese crust deposits, and a tectonically active submarine ridge, which combined has led to industry grow up to 80 companies and annual revenues of $22.2 million.



• Constant developments occurring in the marine biotechnology is fueling further growth in the aquaculture industry. For example, Cyanotech a world leader in mircoalgal biotechnology developed Naturose which gives red pigmentation to fish which otherwise would have no color.

Bioprocess Engineering
Hawaii has a range of initiatives in bioprocess engineering. The industry uses recent advances in biochemical and thermo-chemical process combined with cellular and molecular biology. Bioprocess Engineering Studies range from sub-molecular studies of enzyme structure and function to processing of foods and other bio-products. This high technology intellectual property based industry provides unique opportunities for marketing its expertise to rapidly industrializing countries. Some of the bioprocess engineering initiatives in Hawaii include:

• Design of novel bioreactors for growing plant cells.



• Improvement of microorganisms for industrial applications using cellular and molecular engineering.



• Extraction and purification of enzymes and antibiotics from marine and terrestrial plants.



• Biological and thermochemical conversion of biomass into fuel, chemicals or high valued products.



• Remediation of wastes and pollutants using biological receptors and down stream processing of those receptors.



• Development of novel plant cell expression systems with an innovative reactor biotechnology to produce vaccines, antibodies and specialty chemicals from plant cell cultures. 



• Mass production and processing of marine diatom algae in open systems and the extraction of antibacterial substances and other useful industrial products from marine microalgae.

Research Facilities in Hawaii 

Marine Bioproducts Engineering Center (MarBEC), is an industry-academic research program involving the University of Hawaii at Manoa (lead institution), the University of California, Berkeley (core partner), and several private companies. MarBEC was established in November 1998 with National Science Foundation funding, and is headquartered at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. MarBEC is building a foundation of applied research, education and technology transfer to support the development of the marine biotechnology industry. The main research areas are Marine Bioresources, Metabolic Engineering & Genetic Systems, and Production Systems.

Department of Molecular Biosciences and Biosystems Engineering under CTAHR at the University of Hawaii, conducts research on Aquaculture, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Bioremediation, Environmental Biochemistry, Functional genomics, Gene Regulation, Genetics, Mineral Nutrition, Photosynthesis, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Plant Molecular Biology, Signal Transduction and Stress Physiology.

University of Hawaii's Sea Grant Program supports an innovative program of research, education and extension services, directed to the improved understanding, management, and use of marine resources of the state, region and nation.

Aquaculture Development Program (ADP) - by Hawaii's State Department of Land and Natural Resources helps aquaculture farmers in planning and coordination, information dissemination, business counseling, marketing, animal health management, and research & development funding.

Incubator Facility
Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) is a state agency that operates a unique and innovative ocean science and technology park in Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii. NELHA is an important incubator for commercial marine biotechnology ventures. Strategically located at Keahole Point next to the Kona International Airport and adjacent to one of the steepest bathymetric offshore slopes in the Hawaiian Islands, NELHA offers an incredible combination of assets in one location. NELHA's assets include office and laboratory facilities, infrastructure, pristine natural resources, and leasable open land for use by tenant research, education, and commercial projects. A dual-temperature seawater system that is the only one of its kind in the world sets NELHA apart from all other technology parks and creates a prime setting for innovation and new industry development in this island coastal setting.

Leading Companies

Some of the leading companies in this sector are:

Cyanotech a publicly traded company, is a world leader in developing microalgae-based technologies and producing microalgae-derived products. Using its proprietary production and harvesting technologies, Cyanotech manufactures many products for the human nutraceutical market (including BioAstin®, a natural astaxanthin with potent antioxidant properties), aquaculture/animal feed industries (including NatuRose®) and immunological diagnostic market (phycobiliproteins). Cyanotech is currently developing additional high-value products from microalgae for commercial use. 

Mera Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Aqua Search Inc. was a publicly traded marine biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and commercialization of new medicines, food supplements, and natural animal feed additives. Aquasearch, Inc. has merged with Mera Pharmaceuticals, Inc to become Mera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The company is a global leader in photobioreactor technology, a manufacturing process that unlocks the commercial potential of microscopic plants - 30,000 species of unexploited microalgae. The Company's first major product was a nutraceutical rich in astaxanthins.

Mauna Kea Nutraceuticals is a joint venture between C. Brewer (one of the Hawaii's leading companies specializing in agribusiness and land development) with Capital Program Management of Moorestown, New Jersey., to produce "high-quality extracts" for natural products.  The facility produces raw materials such as ginger, kava, guava, black, capsicum peppers and neem leaf to firms manufacturing herbal and natural medicine pills.

Micro Gaia, Inc. specializes in the efficient mass-cultivation of microalgae to produce quality natural products and ingredients for the global market. Potential markets for these products include nutracuticals, food and beverage, infant formulas, elderly care, cosmetics, pigments and aquaculture feed. The innovative patent-applied "Bio-Dome" System or closed-system photobioreactors is the heart of Micro Gaia. The system can successfully regulate microalgal growth to produce high yields of quality products at less cost.

Enzamin USA, Inc. has a facility located in NELHA developing new applications of deep seawater to enhance a successful Japanese nutraceutical product line based on Bacillus natto from the soybean fermentation process.

High Health Aquaculture, Inc.  is actively carrying out its mission to develop and supply certified pathogen-free broodstock to the global marine shrimp market.

Ceatech USA, Inc. - is a Hawaii-based marine bio-tech company which has (i) exclusive reliance on high health and genetically improved seed, (ii) use of modern disease diagnosis and prophylaxis methodologies, (iii) application of intensive, controlled production techniques, and (iv) use of site-specific environmental control and protection procedures.