Manatee reveals unknown microbial world with new frontiers for biotechnology

Study led by CNPEM published in Nature Microbiology identified thousands of previously unknown microbial species and enzymes with potential applications in health, agriculture and biofuels

Manatee intestines conceal one of the richest reserves of microbial biodiversity described in aquatic mammals. In a study published in Nature Microbiology, researchers from the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) revealed over 6,000 microbial genomes associated with Amazonian and marine manatees, including a vast number of organisms previously unknown to science and thousands of enzymes with potential applications in biotechnology.

The discovery significantly expands knowledge on how nature transforms plant biomass into energy and chemical compounds, offering new opportunities to develop technologies to produce biofuels, agricultural bioinputs, functional ingredients and molecules of interest for human and animal health.

“This study shows how Brazil’s biodiversity can inspire innovations capable of transforming different sectors of the bioeconomy. By understanding how these microorganisms process plant fibers in an extremely efficient manner, we make it possible to develop new sustainable technologies based on solutions that nature itself created over thousands of years of evolution,” explains Gabriela Persinoti and Mario Murakami, who coordinated the study.

An invisible and previously unexplored ecosystem

The researchers analyzed the intestinal microbiomes of 47 Amazonian and marine manatees. The microbiome is composed of a variety of bacteria, archaea, viruses and other organisms that live together within a host.

The research yielded an unprecedented catalog containing over 6,000 bacterial genomes. Over half of these are species that have not yet been described by science. The researchers also reconstructed the viruses associated with these microbial communities and found that roughly 80% were unknown as well.

“The study reveals extraordinary microbial biodiversity. We found thousands of new organisms and an equally impressive group of genes and enzymes that could potentially be harnessed in different biotech applications,” explains Marcele Martins, one of the leaders of

the effort.

How do manatees utilize plants so efficiently?

Manatees almost exclusively feed on aquatic plants that are rich in complex fibers. To utilize this raw material, they depend on a highly specialized microbial community capable of separating structurally resistant components of biomass like cellulose, hemicellulose, aromatic compounds like lignin and phenolics, and other polysaccharides.

The study found that the microorganisms work together, using multiple enzymatic strategies to break down plant cell walls and transform complex molecules into energy sources. This combination of mechanisms is among the most sophisticated described for aquatic herbivorous mammals to date.

Along with the structural sugars, the scientists observed that the microbiome is also capable of metabolizing aromatic compounds derived from lignin, one of the main obstacles to complete utilization of plant biomass in industry. The discovery could inspire new strategies to boost biorefinery efficiency and hasten the production of sustainable fuels, renewable chemical products and sustainable aviation fuel.

Discovering a new natural function

The most relevant discoveries include the identification of epilactase, an enzyme that had never before been described in nature.

This enzyme allows certain microorganisms to utilize epilactose, a carbohydrate that is inaccessible to most known bacteria. This discovery broadens the repertoire of known biochemical mechanisms for processing carbohydrates and confirms the potential of microbial biodiversity to reveal new biotechnology solutions.

The results reinforce the scientific and strategic value of Brazil’s biodiversity as a source of new molecules, enzymes and biological processes capable of driving the bioeconomy.

From their discoveries in this project, the researchers intend to advance in characterizing the enzymes they identified and assessing their potential for industrial applications related to renewable energy production, sustainable agriculture, human and animal health and the development of new bioproducts.