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Keywords: marine biotechnology, bioactivity, therapeutic, health, marine natural product
Published in DiRROS: 23.12.2025; Views: 1047; Downloads: 310
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Abstract: The WINBLUE project takes a multi-actor, data-driven, trans-sectoral and practice-cantered approach to accelerate the empowerment of women in the blue economy. For this reason, the collection qualitative data has been performed. The data collection exercise analysed in this Deliverable, is essential to identify challenges faced by women working in the WINBLUE selected sectors and to provide a basis for establishing future recommendations. The main messages identified in the Deliverable are: 1. Understanding gender and gender equality. For many years, gender equality was considered only as the gender distribution of women and men employed in an organization. This has been changed only in recent years, especially by requesting the adoption of the Gender Equality Plans. 2. Gender Equality Plan (GEP). The EU encouraged the mandatory adoption of GEPs in public organisations if the organisation wants obtain EU funding. If it was not enforced by the EU, many legal entities would not introduce it. However, many organizations see this as a formal “tick the box” exercise without its formal implementation. Nevertheless, in blue economy, where a lot of workforce operates in private or non-governmental entities, GEPs can also be of high value to make structural and cultural changes in individual organizations. 3. Obstacles, such as stereotypes, traditions, mentality and prejudices are still very present in today's society and represent one of the biggest obstacles for women when entering or trying to move up in the sectors of the blue economy selected by WINBLUE (Blue circular bioeconomy and biotechnology, Fisheries and aquaculture, Sustainable coastal and marine tourism, Offshore renewable energy, Cutting-edge marine technologies and others, such as marine education, marine policy, port management, navigation). An important obstacle to mention is motherhood and balancing work and family life. This is not only related to maternity leave and at least one year's absence from work, but also to caring responsibilities and domestic duties, as well as ineffective institutional or national policies on work-life balance. In addition, women are subject to enormous social pressure with regard to role models, family and their life choices. 4. Education plays a very important role in raising awareness, fighting stereotypes, changing mindsets and raising new generations who will understand the meaning and importance of gender equality. It starts at an early age with the first lessons learned from parents and continues at school, university and vocational training. Hence, educational activities should be an integral part of any GEPs. 5. Recruitment and promotion. Gender alone should not be a factor in hiring and promotion. The decision to recruit or promote a person should be made on the basis of the candidate’s skills, abilities, competencies and experience. However, to address unconscious bias and ensure transparent recruitment and promotion procedures, clear guidelines with standardized questions and tasks should be established and records of the selection/promotion process should be kept so that the transparency of the process can be reviewed if necessary. Recruitment and promotion committees should be composed of both male and female employees. 6. Creation of support networks is mostly seen as a valuable tool that can provide mutual support, exchange of good practices and introduce ambassadors with good practice examples. 7. The WINBLUE project, in particular the qualitative and quantitative data collection, as well as the GEP models can make a decisive contribution to introducing changes in the blue economy sector, improving the representation of women in this sector and increasing their number in leadership positions. The WINBLUE project is a good starting point to raise awareness and increase the visibility of women in the blue economy sector. 8. Sustainability of the results of this project should already be considered at this point, during its implementation stage. This entails that through identified stakeholders, activities and GEPs proposed, the systematic quantitative and qualitative data analysis should be maintained and regular monitoring of GEP implementation should be established, including the collaboration with national and international legislative/funding organizations and other organizations from the blue economy sector.
Keywords: gender equality, marine biotechnology, blue economy
Published in DiRROS: 19.12.2024; Views: 1545; Downloads: 120
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Abstract: The ocean, including its coastal areas and covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, has always represented an important environmental and economic resource. Indeed, almost 40% of the global population lives in coastal communities (United Nations, 2017). With its ecosystem services, the ocean represents a pivotal role in human society (Rayner et al., 2019). Undeniably, the ocean provides food, regulates the climate, provides oxygen and ensures economic resources through its shipping routes and tourism opportunities. Additionally, the ocean is home to organisms that have for centuries sparked the scientific interest of many research groups to uncover the biodiversity and functions of these fascinating marine ecosystems. Through their biological and chemical diversity, marine organisms synthesize unique secondary metabolites, biopolymers and enzymes produced in response to environmental stimuli. Secondary metabolites play important biological roles in improving competitiveness, providing chemical defence against predators or competitors and facilitating reproductive processes (Rotter et al.). Screening of these natural products and their producer organisms, coupled with the search of their unique biological activities that could be used in various industries, is tackled within marine (blue) biotechnology. Marine organisms and microorganisms can be investigated, and their primary and secondary metabolites, biopolymers and enzymes can be used as lead agents for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries to improve processes (e.g., in drug delivery) and as a source of bio-inspired materials for numerous biotechnological applications. Although this field has been appearing since the 1960s and 1970s, it is still considered an emerging field and marine biotechnology is still in its infancy (Rayner et al., 2019; Rotter et al.). This is because many marine environments are extreme ones that are either hardly accessible for sampling and harvesting and/or are home to organisms that cannot be cultured or grown in laboratory conditions. Consequently, a lot of advancement in the field of marine biotechnology was hampered until recent advances in science were achieved, including sampling methods, high-throughput methods and transdisciplinary collaborations.
Keywords: blue biotechnology, marine biotechnology, ocean bioprospecting, marine organisms
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 1644; Downloads: 997
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Abstract: Marine organisms produce a vast diversity of metabolites with biological activities useful for humans, e.g., cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-microbial, insecticidal, herbicidal, anticancer, pro-osteogenic and pro-regenerative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant, cholesterol-lowering, nutritional, photoprotective, horticultural or other beneficial properties. These metabolites could help satisfy the increasing demand for alternative sources of nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, food, feed, and novel bio-based products. In addition, marine biomass itself can serve as the source material for the production of various bulk commodities (e.g., biofuels, bioplastics, biomaterials). The sustainable exploitation of marine bio-resources and the development of biomolecules and polymers are also known as the growing field of marine biotechnology. Up to now, over 35,000 natural products have been characterized from marine organisms, but many more are yet to be uncovered, as the vast diversity of biota in the marine systems remains largely unexplored. Since marine biotechnology is still in its infancy, there is a need to create effective, operational, inclusive, sustainable, transnational and transdisciplinary networks with a serious and ambitious commitment for knowledge transfer, training provision, dissemination of best practices and identification of the emerging technological trends through science communication activities. A collaborative (net)work is today compelling to provide innovative solutions and products that can be commercialized to contribute to the circular bioeconomy. This perspective article highlights the importance of establishing such collaborative frameworks using the example of Ocean4Biotech, an Action within the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) that connects all and any stakeholders with an interest in marine biotechnology in Europe and beyond.
Keywords: marine biotechnology, marine natural products, blue growth, marine biodiversity and chemodiversity, responsible research and innovation, stakeholder engagement, science communication, sustainability
Published in DiRROS: 22.07.2024; Views: 1599; Downloads: 798
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