FP6 - GOCE-CT-2003-505491 FISH & CHIPS - Towards DNA chip technology as a standard analytical tool for the identification of marine organisms in biodiversity and ecosystem science

Contacts
Website: www.fish-and-chips.uni-bremen.de




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Biological Conversion : Biotechnology : Life Science and Food Quality

Type of Project	Integrated Project
Contract No	FP6 - GOCE-CT-2003-505491
Total Cost	2,410 KEuro
EC Contribution	1,600 KEuro
Start Date	1-1-2004
Duration	48 Months

Abstract

Sustainable development is a fundamental goal of the European Union and loss of biodiversity is emphasised as one of the main threats to it. However, biodiversity and ecosystems of European Seas are under human impact, such as pollution, eutrophication, and over fishing. Therefore it is necessary to monitor changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

The aim of the project is the development of DNA chips for the identification of marine organisms in European Seas as a cost effective, reliable and efficient technology in biodiversity and ecosystem science. Many marine organisms, such as eggs and larvae of fishes, plankton, and benthos invertebrates, are difficult to identify by morphological characters.

The classical methods are extremely time consuming and require a high degree of taxonomies expertise. Consequently, the basic step of identifying such organisms is a major bottleneck in biodiversity and ecosystem science. Therefore, the project seeks to demonstrate that DNA chips can be a new powerful and innovative tool for the identification of marine organisms.

Three DNA chips for the identification of fishes, phytoplankton, and invertebrates of European Seas will be developed. These chips will facilitate research on dispersal of ichthyoplankton, monitoring of phytoplankton, and identification of bio indicators as well as prey in gut contents analysis.

To achieve this goal a combined biological and technical approach has been initiated: marine biologists will sample the biological material. The next step is the sequencing of suitable molecular markers for probe design. The technical part consists mainly in constructing gene probe libraries and determining their specificity. This will be done by biotech research centres in connection with Sees engaged in bio informatics and DNA chip technology. Therefore the project has the potential to bring Europe's marine biotechnology to the forefront of this field.

Coordinator

Universitaet Bremen, Germany

Partners

• PicoRapid Technologie GmbH, Germany
• Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
• InfoConsult Gesellschaft fuer Informationstechnik mbH, Germany
• Prokaria EHF, Iceland
• Institute of Marine Biology of Crete, Greece
• Stiftung Alfred Wegener Institut fuer Polar- und Meeresforschung, Germany
• Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Université de Perpignan (CNRS), France
• Exiqon A/S, Denmark
• Interdepartment Centre of Research in Environmental Sciences, Università di Bologna, Italy
• Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, College of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mustafa Kernal University, Turkey

Contacts

Contact

• Dietmar BLOHM / UFT, University of Bremen Biotechnology and Molecular Genetics / GERMANY