Master's in Blue Biotechnology and Marine Bioprospecting
This master's prepares you to discover marine biodiversity and turn it into useful products for health, food, cosmetics and industry. You will study how bioprospecting campaigns are designed, how microorganisms and algae are cultured, how bioactive compounds are identified and how bioprocesses are scaled up, always within the legal framework for access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing, and with a clear view of the market and technology transfer.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Master's in Blue Biotechnology and Marine Bioprospecting?
This master's prepares you to discover marine biodiversity and turn it into useful products for health, food, cosmetics and industry. You will learn the fields of application, value chains and current challenges of blue biotechnology, design responsible sampling campaigns in different marine environments, isolate and maintain microorganisms, microalgae and other producer organisms, apply extraction, screening, isolation and structure elucidation techniques, design sustainable production processes at pilot and industrial scale, and apply access-and-benefit-sharing rules while assessing commercial viability.
What sets this master's apart: the whole chain from sea to laboratory, covering sampling, culturing, screening, production and market; a multidisciplinary approach combining biology, chemistry, genomics, bioprocess engineering and regulation; current tools such as metagenomics, high-throughput screening and applied bioinformatics; a clear legal framework built on the Nagoya Protocol, UNCLOS and the BBNJ Agreement on the high seas; and a Final Project in which you design a bioprospecting project with a specific application.
Program highlights
- From sea to laboratory: the whole chain of sampling, culturing, screening, production and market.
- Multidisciplinary approach: biology, chemistry, genomics, bioprocess engineering and regulation.
- Current tools: metagenomics, high-throughput screening and applied bioinformatics.
- Clear legal framework: the Nagoya Protocol, UNCLOS and the BBNJ Agreement on the high seas.
- Wide range of applications: food, cosmetics, enzymes, biomaterials, energy and the environment.
- Final Project: a bioprospecting project with a specific application.
Syllabus of the Master's in Blue Biotechnology and Marine Bioprospecting
11 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Foundations of Blue Biotechnology
- 1.1. Concept and scope of blue biotechnology
- 1.2. Marine biodiversity as a resource
- 1.3. Blue bioeconomy value chains
- 1.4. Application sectors
- 1.5. Marine products on the market
- 1.6. Public and private players
- 1.7. Blue bioeconomy strategies
- 1.8. Scientific and technological challenges
- 1.9. Sustainability and ethics
- 1.10. Sector trends
Biodiversity and Ecology of Marine Environments
- 2.1. Coastal and littoral environments
- 2.2. Reefs and rocky seabeds
- 2.3. The open ocean and plankton
- 2.4. Polar environments
- 2.5. Hydrothermal vents and cold seeps
- 2.6. Deep-sea sediments
- 2.7. Symbiosis and holobionts
- 2.8. Marine chemical ecology
- 2.9. Extremophile organisms
- 2.10. Little-explored biodiversity
Designing Bioprospecting Campaigns
- 3.1. Search objectives and strategies
- 3.2. Selecting areas and organisms
- 3.3. Shore sampling and scientific diving
- 3.4. Sampling with ROVs and dredges
- 3.5. Preserving and transporting samples
- 3.6. Metadata and traceability
- 3.7. Sampling permits
- 3.8. Environmental impact of sampling
- 3.9. Safety during campaigns
- 3.10. Logistics planning
Microbiology and Culturing of Marine Organisms
- 4.1. Marine microbial diversity
- 4.2. Isolating marine bacteria and fungi
- 4.3. Marine culture media
- 4.4. Unculturable microorganisms
- 4.5. Culturing microalgae
- 4.6. Culturing cyanobacteria
- 4.7. Culturing invertebrates and tissues
- 4.8. Strain preservation
- 4.9. Culture collections
- 4.10. Microbiological quality control
Genomics and Metagenomics for Bioprospecting
- 5.1. Sequencing marine genomes
- 5.2. Functional metagenomics
- 5.3. Genome mining
- 5.4. Biosynthetic gene clusters
- 5.5. Transcriptomics and proteomics
- 5.6. Sequence databases
- 5.7. Bioinformatics tools
- 5.8. Heterologous expression
- 5.9. Applied synthetic biology
- 5.10. Genetic data management
Marine Natural Product Chemistry
- 6.1. Classes of marine metabolites
- 6.2. Extraction techniques
- 6.3. Chromatographic fractionation
- 6.4. Mass spectrometry
- 6.5. Nuclear magnetic resonance
- 6.6. Structure elucidation
- 6.7. Dereplication
- 6.8. Synthetic and semi-synthetic routes
- 6.9. Compound libraries
- 6.10. Compound stability
Biological Activity Screening
- 7.1. Designing screening assays
- 7.2. Antimicrobial activity
- 7.3. Antitumour activity
- 7.4. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity
- 7.5. Enzymatic activity
- 7.6. High-throughput screening
- 7.7. Cell models
- 7.8. Validating results
- 7.9. Mechanism of action
- 7.10. Preliminary toxicity
Bioprocesses and Scale-Up
- 8.1. Fundamentals of bioprocesses
- 8.2. Bioreactors and photobioreactors
- 8.3. Culture optimization
- 8.4. Fermentation of marine microorganisms
- 8.5. Separation and purification processes
- 8.6. Scaling up from laboratory to pilot plant
- 8.7. Algae biorefineries
- 8.8. Process control
- 8.9. Techno-economic analysis
- 8.10. Life cycle assessment
Applications of Blue Biotechnology
- 9.1. Marine-derived drugs
- 9.2. Nutraceuticals and functional foods
- 9.3. Cosmetics and dermocosmetics
- 9.4. Industrial enzymes
- 9.5. Biomaterials and biopolymers
- 9.6. Bioplastics
- 9.7. Biofuels and bioenergy
- 9.8. Bioremediation
- 9.9. Aquaculture feeds
- 9.10. Biosensors and diagnostics
Legal Framework, Intellectual Property and Market
- 10.1. UNCLOS and marine genetic resources
- 10.2. The Nagoya Protocol
- 10.3. The BBNJ Agreement on the high seas
- 10.4. Fair benefit-sharing
- 10.5. Patents on biological material
- 10.6. Regulation of health and food products
- 10.7. Project funding
- 10.8. Creating start-ups
- 10.9. Technology transfer
- 10.10. Business models
Final Project
- 11.1. Defining the target application
- 11.2. State-of-the-art review
- 11.3. Selecting organisms and areas
- 11.4. Sampling plan
- 11.5. Culturing and extraction strategy
- 11.6. Screening plan
- 11.7. Scale-up proposal
- 11.8. Legal and intellectual property analysis
- 11.9. Business plan and feasibility
- 11.10. Presentation before an assessment panel
Duration and format of the Master's in Blue Biotechnology and Marine Bioprospecting
It is 1,500 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Master's in Blue Biotechnology and Marine Bioprospecting
Career opportunities after the Master's in Blue Biotechnology and Marine Bioprospecting
Questions about the Master's in Blue Biotechnology and Marine Bioprospecting
A basic scientific background is advisable, but the program explains each technique from its fundamentals.
Yes. You study UNCLOS, the Nagoya Protocol and the BBNJ Agreement, and how to apply them in a real project.
No. It also covers food, cosmetics, enzymes, biomaterials, energy and environmental applications such as bioremediation.
Yes. You work with sequence databases and genome mining tools to locate biosynthetic gene clusters of interest.
You design a complete bioprospecting project for a specific application, from the sampling plan to the business plan, and present it before an assessment panel.
Fully online, with a virtual campus available 24/7, live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The program has a workload of 1,500 hours, and you can progress at your own pace within the schedule you are given when you enroll.
Yes. Module 8 covers bioreactors and photobioreactors, fermentation, purification, scaling up from laboratory to pilot plant, algae biorefineries, techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment.
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at graduates in biology, marine sciences, biochemistry, biotechnology, chemistry, pharmacy, chemical engineering or a related field, technical staff at food, cosmetics or pharmaceutical companies, entrepreneurs and innovation managers, and researchers and teachers updating their knowledge of bioprospecting; professional experience in the biotechnology sector is also a valid route.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a camera for live sessions and project presentations.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.