Marine and Space Biotechnology | 15 Jan 2026

Source: TH 

Why in News? 

India is strengthening its focus on marine and space biotechnology under the  Blue Economy framework, Deep Ocean Mission and BioE3 initiative to reduce import dependence and build leadership in next-generation biomanufacturing. 

What is Marine Biotechnology? 

  • About: It involves the study and application of marine microorganisms, algae, and other ocean life to develop bioactive compounds, industrial enzymes, biomaterials, food ingredients and biostimulants. 
    • These organisms are naturally adapted to extreme pressure, salinity, low light and nutrient-poor conditions, making them highly valuable for climate-resilient biomanufacturing applications. 
  • India’s Current Status: Cultivated marine biomass (mainly seaweed) remains modest at ~70,000 tonnes annually. India continues to import agar, carrageenan, and alginates used in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and medical products. 
  • Policy Initiatives: Policy initiatives such as Blue Economy framework, Deep Ocean Mission and BioE3  aim to promote integrated marine biomanufacturing, linking cultivation, extraction, and downstream applications. 
    • Key actors include ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), private firms like Sea6 Energy and ClimaCrew, and state-level initiatives exploring high-value marine bio-products. 
  • Significance: India possesses a coastline of over 11,000 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone exceeding 2 million sq km, giving access to one of the world’s richest marine biodiversity reservoirs. 
    • Marine biomanufacturing can unlock new sources of food, chemicals, biofuels and biomaterials while reducing stress on land, freshwater and agriculture. 

What is Space Biotechnology? 

  • About: Space biotechnology studies how microbes, plants, and human biological systems behave under microgravity and radiation conditions. Its applications include: 
    • Space-based food production 
    • Closed-loop life-support regeneration 
    • Microbial biomanufacturing of materials 
    • Astronaut health management, including microbiome and probiotic research 
  • India’s progress: ISRO’s microgravity biology programme is conducting experiments on microbes, algae, and biological systems. 
    • Research supports long-duration human spaceflight missions by addressing nutrition, health, and sustainability in space. 
    • Private-sector participation remains limited as the field is still nascent and research-intensive. 
  • Significance: Space biotechnology is critical for India’s human spaceflight ambitions by enabling safe food production, life-support regeneration and long-duration astronaut health management.

Global Initiatives in Marine and Space Biotechnology 

Country/Region 

Key Initiatives 

European Union 

Large-scale marine bioprospecting(Under Horizon Europe), algae biomaterials and bioactive compound programmes supported by shared research infrastructure. 

China 

Rapid expansion of seaweed aquaculture integrated with deep-sea exploration and industrial marine bioprocessing. 

USA & Australia 

Extensive marine and space biotechnology research ecosystems. 

USA (NASA), ESA, JAXA, China (Tiangong) 

Microgravity research on protein crystallisation, plant growth, microbiomes, regenerative medicine and closed-loop life-support systems. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. What is the Deep Ocean Mission? 
It is India’s flagship mission for deep-sea exploration, manned submersibles, and bioprospecting of marine bioresources for minerals, energy and biotechnology. 

2. What is the Blue Economy Framework? 
It is India’s policy approach for sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, livelihoods, climate resilience and marine-based industries. 

3. What is the BioE3 Initiative? 
It is India’s bioeconomy expansion initiative focused on Economy, Environment and Employment through high-value biomanufacturing and green bioprocessing. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Prelims

Q. Other than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created? (2012)

  1. To enable them to withstand drought 
  2. To increase the nutritive value of the produce 
  3. To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations 
  4. To increase their shelf life 

Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 

(a) 1 and 2 only 

(b) 3 and 4 only 

(c) 1, 2 and 4 only 

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 

Ans: (c) 

Q. Mycorrhizal biotechnology has been used in rehabilitating degraded sites because mycorrhiza enables the plants to (2013)

  1. resist drought and increase absorptive area 
  2. tolerate extremes of pH 
  3. resist disease infestation 

Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 

(a) 1 only 

(b) 2 and 3 only 

(c) 1 and 3 only 

(d) 1, 2 and 3 

Ans: (d)