Gandhinagar, Oct 8 (IANS) The Gujarat government has proposed a Rs 100-crore investment over five years to establish a Marine Biotechnology Research and Innovation Corridor (M-BRIC) at Mocha village in Porbandar district, bringing marine research, biomanufacturing, startups and coastal livelihood programmes under a single ecosystem.

The proposed project, an initiative of the Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission (GSBTM) under the Department of Science and Technology, is intended to develop the state's marine biological resources into high-value products and support technology-driven industries along the Gujarat coast.

A memorandum of understanding will be signed between GSBTM and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI) for establishing M-BRIC in the presence of Science and Technology Minister Arjun Modhwadia and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Cooperation, and Animal Husbandry Minister Jitu Vaghani.

Mocha has been identified as the principal hub, with a proposed 30-acre ecosystem comprising research facilities, industrial infrastructure, field demonstration areas, processing facilities, and incubation support.

Specialised activities and partnerships could also extend across the Saurashtra region and the wider Gujarat coastline.

The proposed corridor will cover the marine biotechnology value chain, from exploration of marine biodiversity and scientific research to technology development, pilot-scale validation, industrial scale-up and commercialisation

The resources being considered include seaweeds, microalgae, marine microorganisms and saline ecosystems.

The government plans to explore applications including biofertilisers, biostimulants, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, aquafeed, animal nutrition products, enzymes, biosurfactants, pharmaceutical intermediates and marine-derived biomaterials.

Seaweed-derived agar, alginate and carrageenan are also among the substances proposed for value addition.

A dedicated seaweed-processing cluster is planned at Mocha with facilities for receiving raw material, washing, pre-processing, extraction, drying, powdering, packaging, storage and quality control.

The ecosystem is also expected to include a state-level seaweed brood bank supplying elite planting material of Kappaphycus alvarezii and Gracilaria dura.

Marine microalgal biofactories are proposed to produce omega-3 fatty acids and other high-value bioactive compounds, while an integrated seaweed biorefinery would focus on phycocolloids, biostimulants and other value-added products.

Research facilities are planned for marine bioprospecting, genomics, microbiology, natural products, and biotechnology development.

Incubation facilities and pilot-scale bioprocessing and biomanufacturing infrastructure would support startups and entrepreneurs in moving technologies from laboratories towards commercial applications.

The proposed ecosystem would also assist with prototype development, technology validation, intellectual property protection, regulatory assessment, licensing, technology transfer and industry partnerships.

CSIR-CSMCRI has been identified as a key scientific knowledge partner, with expertise in seaweed biotechnology, marine bioproducts, saline agriculture, halophytes, bioprocessing and technology transfer.

Microalgal biorefineries are also proposed at salt-pan facilities associated with CSIR-CSMCRI in Bhavnagar.

The project also envisages capacity-building programmes under the Seaweed Mission for coastal youth, seaweed farmers, fishing communities, women-led enterprises, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, students and industry professionals.

Training would cover areas such as seaweed cultivation, aquaculture, marine biotechnology, genomics, bioinformatics, marine diagnostics, natural products, bioprocessing, environmental monitoring, entrepreneurship, intellectual property and technology commercialisation.

Environmental monitoring, biodiversity assessment and environmental impact assessment are proposed as part of the ecosystem, alongside responsible utilisation of marine genetic resources.

The project also envisages research on Blue Carbon and climate-resilient coastal development, including monitoring of seaweed and coastal ecosystems.

The corridor is being developed in alignment with Gujarat's biotechnology ecosystem, the BioE3 framework, India's Blue Economy priorities and the "Viksit Bharat @2047" vision.