During evolution the extreme marine environmental
conditions have produced adaptation strategies in marine microorganisms
that are different from their terrestrial counterparts. This involves
new natural products that are different from known structures of
terrestrial organisms. However, the exploration of new drugs, enzymes
or biochemical capabilities of marine origin is difficult. Less
than 1 % of marine microorganisms can be cultivated so far, and
for a negligible number of these known marine microorganisms genetic
tools are available. Metagenomics, genome sequencing and the techniques
of functional genomics make it possible to visualize potential
metabolic and biochemical capabilities of even unculturable marine
cells. The conference will present recent results of these new
research fields and discuss the potential of molecular methods
for the discovery of new natural compounds from marine microorganisms.
Major topics
Marine
• Functional Genomics
• New Drugs
• Enzymes
• Metagenomics
