Novel processes bring industrial biotechnology from lab to market
The EU-funded IB2MARKET (Bringing innovative industrial biotechnology research to the market) project targeted the development and up-scaling of two new industrial biotechnology processes to produce the following compounds: specialty carbohydrates and biosurfactants. Project partners produced bola-sophorolipids, a new type of biosurfactant with a wide range of applications, including pharma, agro, food, cosmetics and nanotechnology. These new biosurfactants are completely biodegradable and entirely produced from renewable resources. The IB2MARKET team also produced L-fucose and fucosylated oligosaccharides – specialty carbohydrates that are very difficult to produce through extraction or chemical synthesis. They are key to animal and human health practices, and are considered an untapped source of innovation within the wellness, biomedical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics high-end areas. These carbohydrates are very expensive because they are not readily available, and the technology to efficiently produce them is lacking. Team members employed a technology platform for optimised manufacture that considerably reduces their production costs. Researchers assessed the technical, economic and environmental sustainability of the process from feedstock to product application, with particular emphasis on identifying and solving bottlenecks in the innovation chain. A valorisation strategy to complete all the steps of the innovation chain was drafted, and a business plan was delivered for commercialisation of the developed products and processes. Thanks to IB2MARKET, the specialty carbohydrates and biosurfactants are commercially available at low prices and are also ready for testing. The project will now work with potential customers to bring production and application of the two products in line with their needs, or even to cooperate on possible new applications.
Keywords
Industrial biotechnology, IB2MARKET, specialty carbohydrates, biosurfactants, bola-sophorolipids
