A new digital platform developed under the leadership of CIIMAR is making Portugal's marine biodiversity more accessible by bringing together thousands of biological resources into a single access point. The Blue Biobanks Digital Research Platform aims to bridge scientific research and industry by simplifying the identification of organisms and biological materials with potential applications in areas such as biotechnology, bioremediation, aquaculture, health, cosmetics and many others.
Developed as part of the Portugal Blue Digital Hub project, the platform serves as a centralized digital repository connecting several Portuguese marine biobanks. It enables users to search for living cultures, preserved specimens, genetic material or biological extracts without having to consult multiple independent databases.
A single map for marine biodiversity
Within the Portugal Blue Digital Hub project, CIIMAR led the development of the Blue Biobanks Digital Research Platform, with the goal of creating a digital infrastructure capable of supporting researchers, companies, policymakers and other Blue Economy stakeholders in identifying and sustainably using marine biological resources.
According to Ana Paula Mucha, principal investigator of the Portugal Blue Digital Hub at CIIMAR, the platform creates a direct link between scientific knowledge and innovation. "This platform was designed to connect blue biobanks with the different sectors of the Blue Economy. Figuratively speaking, biobanks safeguard underwater treasures, while the platform serves as the map that leads to those treasures."
Thousands of records in a single platform
The platform currently integrates more than 10,000 records from five Portuguese biobanks: the Blue Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology Culture Collection (LEGE-CC), the CIIMAR Microbial Culture Collection (CM2C), the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) Algae Collection, the Biological Collection Supporting Research at the University of Aveiro (CoBI-DBUA) and the DEEP-Biobank.
By centralizing these resources, the platform simplifies access to scientific information that was previously scattered across different institutions while following the FAIR principles, ensuring that data are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.
Maria Luís Bôto, a CIIMAR researcher involved in the platform's development, says, "Through a single access point, the platform makes it easier to discover both living organisms, such as bacteria, cyanobacteria and microalgae, as well as preserved organisms, including corals and sponges, collected from a wide range of marine environments."
In addition to searching by organism, users can explore resources according to their potential applications across different Blue Economy sectors, including blue biotechnology, aquaculture, environmental protection and restoration, water management, and ports and maritime transport. The platform also allows users to contact biobanks directly, request specialized services and obtain scientific advice to support the development of new products and processes.
A scientific and biological heritage ready to grow
The biological collections brought together through the platform represent a valuable scientific asset. Beyond preserving living organisms, tissues, DNA, RNA and other biological materials for future research, these collections provide an essential foundation for developing innovative solutions in fields ranging from pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutraceuticals and bioplastics to bioremediation technologies.
Over the coming years, the Blue Biobanks Digital Research Platform is expected to continue expanding through the integration of additional biobanks and the growth of the biological resources available within each collection.
By bringing together scientific infrastructure, data and industry, the platform aims to foster innovation, promote the sustainable use of marine biodiversity and strengthen the competitiveness of the blue bioeconomy.
Provided by CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research
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Citation: New platform creates digital map for marine biobanks (2026, July 10) retrieved 11 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-platform-digital-marine-biobanks.html
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