Muscat: A two-day symposium at the Sultan Qaboos University’s (SQU) Centre of Excellence in Marine Biotechnology will discuss the emerging opportunities and future perspectives for marine biotechnology.
The symposium, to be held on November 12 and 13, will bring together specialists from 15 countries to highlight current developments in marine biotechnologies, with themed sessions on Marine Bio-fouling and Prevention, Fisheries and Aquaculture Biotechnology and Marine Biodiversity and Natural Products.
Dr Stephen Goddard, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology, said that sustainable policies and practices will be at the forefront throughout the symposium.
“Marine biotechnology necessitates innovative approaches to support multi-disciplinary research and development, hence a final session will be held on future developments, which will bring together policy makers and industry leaders,” he pointed out.
“Further,” he added, “it [symposium] will shed light on the current developments of this field through a number of sessions.”
The main objectives of this symposium are to assess and promote the development of marine biotechnology in Oman and to bring together scientists for the establishment of new collaborative activity.
In the opening ceremony, Grant Burgess from Newcastle University in the UK will present a paper on the global development of marine biotechnology over the last 20 years and opportunities for Oman.
Daniel Ritschoff, Lee Hill Snowden Professor of Ecology at Duke University, North Carolina, USA, will open the first session with a paper titled Bio fouling and next generation fouling management.
In the second session, Dean Jerry, Head of Aquaculture and Deputy Director of the Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture at James Cook University, Townsville, Australia, will speak on fisheries and aquaculture in the era of the genomic revolution.
Peter Proksch, Head of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology at Heinrich-Heine University in Germany, will open the third session with a paper titled Drug Discovery from the Sea - Chances and Pitfalls.