Omics, synthetic biology and biotechnology in Australian marine science

Oliver Berry; Matthew R. Nitschke; Aleksandar Zivaljevic; Alyssa M. Budd; Anastasija Zaiko; Emma F. Camp; Eric J. Raes; Heidi M. Luter; Hugh D. Goold; Jodie van de Kamp; Justin R. Seymour; Kate M. Quigley; Katrina M. West; Miwa Takahashi; Nicholas A. Paul; Patrick Buerger; Simon Jarman; Sven Uthicke; Wing Yan Chan; Yun Kit Yeoh

doi:10.1080/18366503.2026.2694228

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Omics, synthetic biology and biotechnology in Australian marine science

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Omics, synthetic biology and biotechnology in Australian marine science

Oliver Berry, Matthew R. Nitschke, Aleksandar Zivaljevic, Alyssa M. Budd, Anastasija Zaiko, Emma F. Camp, Eric J. Raes, Heidi M. Luter, Hugh D. Goold, Jodie van de Kamp, …

Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs, Vol.Advanced access

14-Jul-2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/18366503.2026.2694228

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Abstract

eDNA

metagenomics

biodiscovery

ocean monitoring

multi-omics

The ocean supports Australia's health and prosperity. While it offers resources and is critical to regulating the biosphere, it is vast and complex, making it challenging to understand the processes that sustain ocean life, identify best management practices, and ensure sustainable resource use. We need new and more effective ways to observe, understand and manipulate the ocean and its resources. Fuelled by technical developments from medicine and agriculture, omics, synthetic biology, and biotechnologies (OSB) enable high-resolution measurement and manipulation of biological systems from cellular to ecosystem scales. Already Australian researchers, managers and industries are deploying these fast-evolving technologies to solve challenges from fisheries stock assessments and pest surveillance to aquaculture breeding. Yet, there is potential to create greater impact if we prioritise investment in infrastructure, data systems, computational capacity, workforce development, and cross-sector collaboration. In this review, we profile leading OSB technologies, their primary application areas, and outline strategic investment priorities for OSB in Australia's marine domain. We argue that coordinated national leadership is essential to translate emerging capability into operational impact. Without such coordination, Australia risks underutilising transformative technologies that can underpin long-term ocean stewardship and a sustainable blue economy.

Details

Title: Omics, synthetic biology and biotechnology in Australian marine science
Authors: Oliver Berry (Corresponding Author) - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Matthew R. Nitschke (Corresponding Author) - Australian Institute of Marine Science
Aleksandar Zivaljevic - Australian Institute of Marine Science
Alyssa M. Budd - Curtin University
Anastasija Zaiko - Sequench Ltd. (New Zealand)
Emma F. Camp - University of Technology Sydney
Eric J. Raes - The University of Western Australia
Heidi M. Luter - Australian Institute of Marine Science
Hugh D. Goold - New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
Jodie van de Kamp - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Justin R. Seymour - University of Technology Sydney
Kate M. Quigley - Minderoo Foundation
Katrina M. West - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Miwa Takahashi - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Nicholas A. Paul - University of the Sunshine Coast
Patrick Buerger - Australian Institute of Marine Science
Simon Jarman - Curtin University
Sven Uthicke - Australian Institute of Marine Science
Wing Yan Chan - Australian Institute of Marine Science
Yun Kit Yeoh - Australian Institute of Marine Science
Publication details: Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs, Vol.Advanced access
Publisher: Routledge
DOI: 10.1080/18366503.2026.2694228
ISSN: 2333-6498
Copyright note: © 2026 Crown Copyright in the Commonwealth of Australia. CSIRO. Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group (UK/RoW journals). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Grants: Adaptation potential of Australia’s coral reefs to a changing climate, DE230100284, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Single-cell metabolite imaging of the coral-microalgal symbiosis, DE240100317, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Grant note: Minderoo Foundation / Westpac Research Fellowship / NSW Government’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development / European Union’s Horizon Europe HORIZON-CL6-2024-BIODIV-01 project ‘GuardIAS-Guarding European Waters from IAS’, under grant agreement no. 101181413.
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991246149802621
Output Type: Journal article

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