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compounds or to particular physio-chemical conditions217. The resultant biosensor has a variety of potential uses for soil, sediment and water testing. Specifically, their use has been demonstrated for detecting contamination such as heavy metals and hydrocarbons in ex-situ water and soil environments218,217. GFPs can be used in combination with strains of E.Coli as biosensors to deduct heavy metal contamination and changes in physiochemical conditions in water systems218. These biosensors are able to work in an aqueous phase within a buffered medium and represent a cost-effective, compact, portable opportunity for monitoring environmental pollution in in-situ water and soil environments217. However, their widespread use as an environment pollution detector is constrained by their performance in harsh environmental conditions and also due to political sensitivities with using genetically engineered microbial biosensors217. Few sensors have been developed specifically for marine applications but a number of sensors have relevant analytes. The potential uses of biosensors include the detection of characteristics of eutrophication; organism detection; detection of pollutants; detection of trace metals; detection of contaminants in food; and detection of toxic substances219. Further advances within this field include the increased chemical or stress specificity of these reporter genes through fusing with natural regulatory genes which can allow the targeting of specific chemicals or classes/of compounds217. In addition, constraints to GFPs usefulness include a relatively slow formation of the “flurophore”, however experimental mutant GFPs have successfully displayed increased stability and intensity. These are now commercially available and their use is expected to increase. Antifouling Biofouling is the colonisation of man-made surfaces by microorganisms which can lead to biodeteriation and increased drag on ships which leads to increased fuel consumption. Biofouling has long been considered a problem in shipping and several techniques have been used to combat it starting with copper which was found to have a short effective lifespan as well as being toxic to many forms of marine life. Tributylin (TBT) paints were developed in the 1960s as a replacement for copper paints. TBT worked effectively as an antifoulant but was found to be very damaging to the marine environment and organisms living in it and the continued use of it led to severe contamination of many bays and estuaries particularly those close to shipping ports. Concern over these impacts led to a partial ban on the use of TBT paints by the International Maritime Organization so other solutions were required220 A key approach being taken to acquire a solution to biofouling is through the use of marine biotechnology. Natural products with antifouling properties have been identified from marine organisms including seaweed, seagrasses, sponges and soft corals. Strategies adopted by organisms living in the marine environment against fouling can be grouped into four types: chemical, physical, mechanical and behavioural, of which, the first three are of interest for use in biotechnology and have been the basis of research on marine antifoulants and microtexturing of 217 Shin, H. J., 2011, Genetically engineered microbial biosensors for in situ monitoring of environmental pollution. Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 89(4), 867-877. 218 Raja, C. E. & Selvam, G. S., 2011, Construction of green fluorescent protein based bacterial biosensor for heavy metal remediation. Int J Environ Sci Technol 8, 793–798 219 Kroger S, Law RJ. 2005. Biosensors for marine applications. We all need the sea, but does the sea need biosensors? Biosensors and Bioelectronics. 20: 1903-1913. Available: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/7992973_Biosensors_for_marine_applications._We_all_need_the_sea_but_does_th e_sea_need_biosensors/file/d912f506e9995476fd.pdf. 220 CSA MarineBiotech, http://www.marinebiotech.eu// Study in support of Impact Assessment work on Blue Biotechnology 157

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