The research team has developed a prototype for producing ectoine from the marine bacterium Virgibacillus salarius as a high-purity reference standard, aiming to reduce Indonesia’s dependence on imported ectoine. Widely used in the health and cosmetics industries, ectoine is a valuable bioactive compound known for protecting cells from environmental stresses such as ultraviolet radiation, high temperatures, and high salinity.

According to Prof. Fenny, conventional ectoine production relies on native bacteria that require extremely high salt concentrations, making large-scale industrial production inefficient due to severe corrosion of bioreactor equipment.

To overcome this challenge, the team adopted Smart Exploration and Smart Exploitation approaches by harnessing Indonesia’s rich marine biodiversity. Using genome mining, the researchers extracted genetic information from bacteria symbiotically associated with soft corals collected from Karimun Jawa without disrupting the natural ecosystem. The ectoine-producing genes were then introduced into Escherichia coli through synthetic biology techniques, resulting in a 130-fold increase in ectoine production compared to the native bacterium while eliminating the need for high-salinity conditions.

Beyond improving production efficiency, the prototype produces highly purified ectoine with a quality comparable to international commercial standards. This achievement creates opportunities for Indonesia to establish its own supply of reference-grade ectoine while reducing reliance on costly imported products.

The research also provides valuable learning opportunities for students. Tsastyani Dipananda (Biology Undergraduate Program, Class of 2022) contributed to gene expression analysis and ectoine production optimization using RT-qPCR and HPLC, while Denise Luna Liem (Biology Undergraduate Program, Class of 2022) mapped biosynthetic gene clusters using AntiSMASH software to identify the potential of other valuable bioactive compounds.

Looking ahead, the research team is expanding its work to develop other high-value compounds, including vitamin B12 and squalene. The commercialization process is currently being accelerated through collaboration among SITH ITB, the ITB Bioscience and Biotechnology Research Center, Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and industry partner PT EBM Scitech.

Prof. Fenny expressed hope that the combination of genome mining and synthetic biology would promote a more sustainable approach to utilizing Indonesia’s biodiversity.

“By leveraging the genetic information of marine microorganisms rather than harvesting natural resources directly, the technology is expected to support the growth of Indonesia’s bioindustry while preserving the country’s marine ecosystems,” she said.