The BioBank
about
The Biobank
The DEEP-BioBank (DEEP-BB), located at Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), Porto, Portugal, holds a vast collection of deep-sea benthic fauna, namely sponge and coral samples (phyla Porifera and Cnidaria) obtained mostly from the Atlantic Ocean, either as fisheries bycatch or from scientific surveys.
Sponges and corals are amongst the most prolific sources of new Marine Natural Products and are also sources of biomaterials (Silica, Calcium carbonate), both of which provide an array of applications in the blue biotech sector, such as drug discovery, marine genetic resources, gene clusters, as well as inspiration for biomimetics.
