Marine Proteomics: Challenges and Opportunities

Marine invertebrates such as crustaceans, oysters, polychaetes and bryozones are widely distributed in intertidal and sediment ecosystems and have significant economic and ecological importance. These species serve as model organisms for settlement biology, biofouling, marine pollution, toxicology, climate change and ocean acidification research. Traditionally, marine biologists have studied them in the context of morphology and behavior. Ever since the technological advancement in proteomics and genome sequencing tools, researchers began to adopt such tools in marine larvae biology research [1]. However, the challenge is that none of these tools were applied to marine research before so there is a great deal of optimization of such methods has to be done. In addition, lack of genome information discouraged marine scientists to conduct proteomics studies. Cell culture methods have not been established and species specific antibodies are not yet developed. The direct use of larvae or adults increases the complexity of proteome. Shells and calcareous tubes of crustaceans and oysters and self-secreted mucilage or slime of polychaetes poses greater challenge for proteins extraction and purification protocols. Natural habitat conditions differ substantially thereby variation in data obtained is high.