AIMARIA

Recent global ocean metagenome reconstructions reveal tens of thousands of Gene Cluster Families (GCFs), spanning diverse biosynthetic classes such as polyketide synthases (PKSs), non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), ribosomally synthesised and posttranslationally modified peptides (RiPPs), terpenes, and additional specialised metabolite pathways1,2 (Figure 2). The primary bottleneck has now therefore shifted from “finding” to “expressing” that is from discovery of genetic potential to characterising and applying novel small molecules and enzymes (discovery to functionalisation). AIMARIA explicitly tackles this gap with a predictive Digital-to-Pilot pipeline that couples AI-guided prioritisation, AI-driven pathway refactoring, contextaware DNA design, enzymatic long-DNA synthesis and a diversified, marine-compatible chassis panel, converting genomic potential into molecules and dataready assets. Coupled with early-adopter stakeholders, AIMARIA will transform marine biodiscovery into a predictive, responsible, generally applicable, and societally integrated pipeline that turns untapped genomic potential into tangible solutions for health and sustainability.