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 Introduction 
Scalding seawater heated by molten lava shoots from vents from Hawaii's newest volcano, Loihi, 4,000 feet deep off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. MarBEC researchers are there in the deep submersible "Pisces V", collecting samples of this superheated biochemical soup. If marine microorganisms can thrive under such adverse conditions, who knows what potentially beneficial compounds are present? Could MarBEC scientists be sampling a new anti-cancer agent, the next super glue, or simply one of the ingredients in a super-model's eye shadow? These types of substances, bioproducts naturally produced by marine life, form the basis of MarBEC's mission--to develop the engineering technology and science base for the commercial production of high-value marine bioproducts. MarBEC, a partnership between the University of Hawaii at Manoa, lead institution and the University of California, Berkeley (core partner), is head quartered at UH Manoa. It is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center established in November 1998. The founding Director and Principal Investigator was Dr. Oskar R. Zaborsky, a former UH Professor and the Hawaiian Electric Company William-Matsunaga Scholar.
Back in the lab, MarBEC researchers and their student assistants will sort and analyze the hydrothermal samples and begin searching for their industrial applicability and potential for large-scale production. In most cases, it's neither feasible nor environmentally responsible to collect large quantities of marine organisms for industrial use. Generally, MarBEC scientists will chemically engineer the super-production of target compounds using techniques such as optimizing the growth of the organism itself, genetically engineering a host organism for optimal production of the desired compound or combinatorial chemistry, which functions completely outside the organism. MarBEC's education program trains undergraduate, graduate and post-graduates with a cross-disciplinary approach integrating science and engineering. Graduates are typically 18-24 months ahead of most new hires in the biotechnology field due to their systems approach, cross-disciplinary training, team work and organizational experience aquired with the center. In addition to top-notch personnel, MarBEC's industry partners receive first rights to license new technologies. Back at the lab MarBEC researchers may have identified a compound from one of the Loihi organisms and may end up as a patented ingredient in a new super heat resistant paint for the space station. From discovery and identification, to growth and large scale production, to industry collaboration, the MarBEC system integrates the factors that will build the marine biotechnology industry of the twenty-first century. For more information about MarBEC's education, research or industrial sponsorship programs, please follow the links above on the left.
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