Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BiOBreW (Biological Upgrading of Brewer Spent Grain into high added value products)
Reporting period: 2023-01-03 to 2025-03-02
Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project
The BiOBreW project is a pioneering initiative that seeks to transform the brewing industry’s most abundant by-product, brewers' spent grain (BSG), into a source of high-value bioproducts. BSG represents approximately 85% of the total by-products generated during beer production, with an estimated 20 kg of wet BSG produced for every 100 L of beer brewed. Despite its potential, BSG is currently used mainly as low-value animal feed or disposed of, leading to significant environmental and economic inefficiencies. BiOBreW introduces an innovative cascade biorefinery approach to fully utilize BSG, integrating advanced biotechnology, enzymatic extraction, nanotechnology, and biogas valorization to develop a circular and sustainable process.
The project aims to:
1-Extract high-value antioxidants (ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid) from BSG using different extration methods as novel enzymatic and hydrithermal technologies. These antioxidants are widely used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals due to their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. The project seeks to optimize their extraction yield to 90%, far exceeding current industrial methods that achieve yields below 30%. Unlike conventional chemical extraction methods, which rely on hazardous solvents, BiOBreW employs environmentally friendly enzymatic hydrolysis, reducing chemical waste and improving product purity.
2-Enhance the stability and bioavailability of extracted antioxidants through nanocarrier encapsulation. Antioxidants like ferulic and p-coumaric acids degrade rapidly and have poor permeability, limiting their industrial applications. BiOBreW will develop biodegradable ultra-deformable liposomes capable of improving their penetrability and half-life by over 80%, ensuring their effective use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations to treat sin patologies.
3-Convert the residual BSG into biogas via biological gasification. The enzymatic and hydtothermal pre-treatment applied for antioxidant extraction enhances the biodegradability of BSG, facilitating its conversion into methane-rich biogas through anaerobic digestion. This approach contributes to sustainable waste management while generating a renewable energy source.
4-Bioconvert methane from biogas into ectoine, a high-value compound for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Ectoine, produced by halotolerant methanotrophic bacteria, is a widely used skin-protective and anti-inflammatory ingredient with a market value of approximately €1,300/kg. However, current ectoine production methods are inefficient, with low bacterial growth rates and high operational costs. BiOBreW will optimize the cultivation of robust methanotrophic consortia and develop a high-efficiency bioreactor system to achieve methane-to-ectoine conversion efficiencies above 90%.
The BiOBreW project integrates Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) to ensure a holistic approach to sustainability, economic viability, and societal acceptance of its innovations. While the project is primarily focused on biotechnology and environmental engineering, SSH disciplines play a crucial role in maximizing its impact and facilitating its implementation.
Economic and Market Analysis: Understanding the economic feasibility of extracting antioxidants from brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and converting methane into ectoine requires a comprehensive techno-economic assessment. This includes cost-benefit analysis, business model development, and market research to identify potential applications in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. The project will also evaluate consumer perception and willingness to adopt bio-based products, ensuring that BiOBreW’s outputs align with market demands.
Regulatory and Policy Frameworks: The use of biotechnological processes in waste valorization must comply with EU sustainability policies, environmental laws, and food safety regulations. Legal experts will analyze the legislative landscape surrounding bio-based products, biogas utilization, and circular economy strategies, providing guidelines for policy alignment and industrial-scale implementation.
Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): A key aspect of SSH integration is evaluating the environmental, social, and economic impact of BiOBreW’s processes. By conducting an LCA, the project will quantify the carbon footprint reduction, resource efficiency improvements, and waste minimization achieved through enzymatic extraction, biogas valorization, and ferulic acid production.
Social Perception and Public Engagement: The success of circular bioeconomy solutions depends on public awareness and societal acceptance. BiOBreW will implement science communication strategies to educate consumers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers on the benefits of using eco-friendly, bio-based products. Outreach activities will include workshops, media dissemination, and stakeholder engagement with environmental organizations and regulatory bodies.
Ethical and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): BiOBreW follows the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation, ensuring that all developments consider ethical, gender, and inclusivity aspects. Open science practices, gender-balanced research teams, and interdisciplinary collaboration will be promoted throughout the project to align with EU sustainability goals.
By incorporating SSH disciplines, BiOBreW not only advances technological innovation but also ensures that its solutions are economically viable, socially responsible, and aligned with regulatory frameworks, fostering a sustainable and inclusive circular bioeconomy.
BiOBreW is a multidisciplinary project that merges biotechnology, engineering, environmental sciences, social sciences, and economics to create a sustainable and circular bioeconomy model for the brewing industry. By integrating SSH disciplines, the project not only advances scientific and technological frontiers but also ensures that its solutions are socially responsible, economically viable, and aligned with regulatory and consumer expectations.
The project aims to:
1-Extract high-value antioxidants (ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid) from BSG using different extration methods as novel enzymatic and hydrithermal technologies. These antioxidants are widely used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals due to their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. The project seeks to optimize their extraction yield to 90%, far exceeding current industrial methods that achieve yields below 30%. Unlike conventional chemical extraction methods, which rely on hazardous solvents, BiOBreW employs environmentally friendly enzymatic hydrolysis, reducing chemical waste and improving product purity.
2-Enhance the stability and bioavailability of extracted antioxidants through nanocarrier encapsulation. Antioxidants like ferulic and p-coumaric acids degrade rapidly and have poor permeability, limiting their industrial applications. BiOBreW will develop biodegradable ultra-deformable liposomes capable of improving their penetrability and half-life by over 80%, ensuring their effective use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations to treat sin patologies.
3-Convert the residual BSG into biogas via biological gasification. The enzymatic and hydtothermal pre-treatment applied for antioxidant extraction enhances the biodegradability of BSG, facilitating its conversion into methane-rich biogas through anaerobic digestion. This approach contributes to sustainable waste management while generating a renewable energy source.
4-Bioconvert methane from biogas into ectoine, a high-value compound for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Ectoine, produced by halotolerant methanotrophic bacteria, is a widely used skin-protective and anti-inflammatory ingredient with a market value of approximately €1,300/kg. However, current ectoine production methods are inefficient, with low bacterial growth rates and high operational costs. BiOBreW will optimize the cultivation of robust methanotrophic consortia and develop a high-efficiency bioreactor system to achieve methane-to-ectoine conversion efficiencies above 90%.
The BiOBreW project integrates Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) to ensure a holistic approach to sustainability, economic viability, and societal acceptance of its innovations. While the project is primarily focused on biotechnology and environmental engineering, SSH disciplines play a crucial role in maximizing its impact and facilitating its implementation.
Economic and Market Analysis: Understanding the economic feasibility of extracting antioxidants from brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and converting methane into ectoine requires a comprehensive techno-economic assessment. This includes cost-benefit analysis, business model development, and market research to identify potential applications in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. The project will also evaluate consumer perception and willingness to adopt bio-based products, ensuring that BiOBreW’s outputs align with market demands.
Regulatory and Policy Frameworks: The use of biotechnological processes in waste valorization must comply with EU sustainability policies, environmental laws, and food safety regulations. Legal experts will analyze the legislative landscape surrounding bio-based products, biogas utilization, and circular economy strategies, providing guidelines for policy alignment and industrial-scale implementation.
Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): A key aspect of SSH integration is evaluating the environmental, social, and economic impact of BiOBreW’s processes. By conducting an LCA, the project will quantify the carbon footprint reduction, resource efficiency improvements, and waste minimization achieved through enzymatic extraction, biogas valorization, and ferulic acid production.
Social Perception and Public Engagement: The success of circular bioeconomy solutions depends on public awareness and societal acceptance. BiOBreW will implement science communication strategies to educate consumers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers on the benefits of using eco-friendly, bio-based products. Outreach activities will include workshops, media dissemination, and stakeholder engagement with environmental organizations and regulatory bodies.
Ethical and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): BiOBreW follows the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation, ensuring that all developments consider ethical, gender, and inclusivity aspects. Open science practices, gender-balanced research teams, and interdisciplinary collaboration will be promoted throughout the project to align with EU sustainability goals.
By incorporating SSH disciplines, BiOBreW not only advances technological innovation but also ensures that its solutions are economically viable, socially responsible, and aligned with regulatory frameworks, fostering a sustainable and inclusive circular bioeconomy.
BiOBreW is a multidisciplinary project that merges biotechnology, engineering, environmental sciences, social sciences, and economics to create a sustainable and circular bioeconomy model for the brewing industry. By integrating SSH disciplines, the project not only advances scientific and technological frontiers but also ensures that its solutions are socially responsible, economically viable, and aligned with regulatory and consumer expectations.
Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far
The BiOBreW project has developed a sustainable and innovative process to give a second life to brewers' spent grain (BSG), the main by-product of beer production, which is often discarded or used as low-value animal feed. Through advanced biotechnology and green chemistry, we have transformed this industrial waste into high-value natural antioxidants, particularly ferulic acid, which has applications in healthcare, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
One of the main achievements of the project was the development of an eco-friendly method to extract ferulic acid from BSG using enzymes. Traditional chemical extraction methods rely on harmful solvents, making them costly and environmentally damaging. In contrast, our enzyme-based approach is more sustainable, achieving high extraction efficiency while preserving the purity and functionality of the antioxidant. By optimizing factors such as enzyme type, reaction time, and temperature, we significantly increased the yield of ferulic acid, making the process more efficient and scalable for industrial applications.
Once extracted, the ferulic acid faced a challenge: its instability and poor solubility limited its effectiveness in commercial applications. To address this, we developed a nanoencapsulation system, creating ultra-deformable liposomes capable of protecting the antioxidant, increasing its shelf life, and improving its ability to penetrate the skin. These formulations were rigorously tested for stability, particle size, and encapsulation efficiency, ensuring their potential for use in skincare products, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals.
Another key aspect of the project was finding a way to handle the leftover BSG after antioxidant extraction. Instead of letting it go to waste, we explored its conversion into biogas through anaerobic digestion, turning a food industry by-product into a renewable energy source. The project demonstrated that enzymatic pre-treatment enhances the biodegradability of BSG, leading to improved methane production.
Through these advancements, BiOBreW has successfully demonstrated a circular and sustainable approach to industrial waste. By recovering valuable antioxidants and generating renewable energy, this project provides an innovative model that can help the brewing industry reduce waste, lower environmental impact, and create new economic opportunities.
One of the main achievements of the project was the development of an eco-friendly method to extract ferulic acid from BSG using enzymes. Traditional chemical extraction methods rely on harmful solvents, making them costly and environmentally damaging. In contrast, our enzyme-based approach is more sustainable, achieving high extraction efficiency while preserving the purity and functionality of the antioxidant. By optimizing factors such as enzyme type, reaction time, and temperature, we significantly increased the yield of ferulic acid, making the process more efficient and scalable for industrial applications.
Once extracted, the ferulic acid faced a challenge: its instability and poor solubility limited its effectiveness in commercial applications. To address this, we developed a nanoencapsulation system, creating ultra-deformable liposomes capable of protecting the antioxidant, increasing its shelf life, and improving its ability to penetrate the skin. These formulations were rigorously tested for stability, particle size, and encapsulation efficiency, ensuring their potential for use in skincare products, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals.
Another key aspect of the project was finding a way to handle the leftover BSG after antioxidant extraction. Instead of letting it go to waste, we explored its conversion into biogas through anaerobic digestion, turning a food industry by-product into a renewable energy source. The project demonstrated that enzymatic pre-treatment enhances the biodegradability of BSG, leading to improved methane production.
Through these advancements, BiOBreW has successfully demonstrated a circular and sustainable approach to industrial waste. By recovering valuable antioxidants and generating renewable energy, this project provides an innovative model that can help the brewing industry reduce waste, lower environmental impact, and create new economic opportunities.
Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)
Results and Potential Impact
The BiOBreW project has successfully demonstrated an innovative and sustainable approach for transforming brewers' spent grain (BSG) into high-value ferulic acid, a natural antioxidant with applications in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and functional foods. The key achievements of the project include:
Development of an enzyme-based extraction process that significantly improves the yield of ferulic acid while reducing the need for harmful chemical solvents. This makes the process not only more sustainable but also cost-effective and scalable for industrial applications.
Successful nanoencapsulation of ferulic acid, using ultra-deformable liposomes, which enhances its stability, bioavailability, and effectiveness in skincare and pharmaceutical formulations.
Validation of BSG as a renewable resource, showing that, beyond antioxidant extraction, its residues can be further valorized for biogas production, contributing to a circular economy model.
Potential Impact and Key Needs for Further Uptake
The results of BiOBreW offer significant environmental, economic, and industrial benefits, but further steps are required to ensure its wider adoption and commercial success:
Further Research and Demonstration: Additional studies on the scalability and industrial feasibility of the enzymatic and hydrothermal extraction process are needed. Large-scale pilot testing will help validate the efficiency of the process in real industrial settings.
Long-term stability and performance testing of nanoencapsulated ferulic acid in real-world formulations (e.g. cosmetic creams, pharmaceutical products) will be necessary to demonstrate its added value.
Access to Markets and Finance: Collaboration with cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries will be essential to position the bio-based ferulic acid as a viable alternative to synthetic or chemically extracted antioxidants.
Funding for further research, technology transfer, and market entry strategies will be key to moving from laboratory results to commercially viable products.
Intellectual Property (IP) and Commercialisation: Initially, we explored the possibility of protecting the process innovations and nanoencapsulation methods through patents or other intellectual property rights (IPR) strategies. However, after thorough analysis, no viable patent opportunities were identified, either due to prior existing technologies or the inability to meet the novelty criteria required for patent protection.
Despite this, the project’s findings remain highly valuable for industrial application, and alternative commercial pathways must be pursued. Licensing agreements with biotechnology companies and ingredient manufacturers could still facilitate the technology’s adoption and scaling, leveraging trade secrets or proprietary formulations to maintain a competitive advantage.
Additionally, open innovation strategies and collaborations with industrial partners could help bring bio-based ferulic acid to market, ensuring its viability as a sustainable alternative in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical sectors.
Regulatory and Standardisation Support: The process and final products must comply with European regulations on food ingredients, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Engaging with regulatory bodies to establish quality and safety standards for bio-based antioxidants will be a key step towards market approval.
BiOBreW has demonstrated a new way to valorize industrial by-products, reducing waste while creating high-value, sustainable ingredients. To fully realize its impact, further pilot testing, regulatory approvals, and industry partnerships will be necessary. With the right investment and market integration strategies, this innovation has the potential to revolutionize natural antioxidant production, promoting a more sustainable and circular bioeconomy.
The BiOBreW project has successfully demonstrated an innovative and sustainable approach for transforming brewers' spent grain (BSG) into high-value ferulic acid, a natural antioxidant with applications in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and functional foods. The key achievements of the project include:
Development of an enzyme-based extraction process that significantly improves the yield of ferulic acid while reducing the need for harmful chemical solvents. This makes the process not only more sustainable but also cost-effective and scalable for industrial applications.
Successful nanoencapsulation of ferulic acid, using ultra-deformable liposomes, which enhances its stability, bioavailability, and effectiveness in skincare and pharmaceutical formulations.
Validation of BSG as a renewable resource, showing that, beyond antioxidant extraction, its residues can be further valorized for biogas production, contributing to a circular economy model.
Potential Impact and Key Needs for Further Uptake
The results of BiOBreW offer significant environmental, economic, and industrial benefits, but further steps are required to ensure its wider adoption and commercial success:
Further Research and Demonstration: Additional studies on the scalability and industrial feasibility of the enzymatic and hydrothermal extraction process are needed. Large-scale pilot testing will help validate the efficiency of the process in real industrial settings.
Long-term stability and performance testing of nanoencapsulated ferulic acid in real-world formulations (e.g. cosmetic creams, pharmaceutical products) will be necessary to demonstrate its added value.
Access to Markets and Finance: Collaboration with cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries will be essential to position the bio-based ferulic acid as a viable alternative to synthetic or chemically extracted antioxidants.
Funding for further research, technology transfer, and market entry strategies will be key to moving from laboratory results to commercially viable products.
Intellectual Property (IP) and Commercialisation: Initially, we explored the possibility of protecting the process innovations and nanoencapsulation methods through patents or other intellectual property rights (IPR) strategies. However, after thorough analysis, no viable patent opportunities were identified, either due to prior existing technologies or the inability to meet the novelty criteria required for patent protection.
Despite this, the project’s findings remain highly valuable for industrial application, and alternative commercial pathways must be pursued. Licensing agreements with biotechnology companies and ingredient manufacturers could still facilitate the technology’s adoption and scaling, leveraging trade secrets or proprietary formulations to maintain a competitive advantage.
Additionally, open innovation strategies and collaborations with industrial partners could help bring bio-based ferulic acid to market, ensuring its viability as a sustainable alternative in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical sectors.
Regulatory and Standardisation Support: The process and final products must comply with European regulations on food ingredients, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Engaging with regulatory bodies to establish quality and safety standards for bio-based antioxidants will be a key step towards market approval.
BiOBreW has demonstrated a new way to valorize industrial by-products, reducing waste while creating high-value, sustainable ingredients. To fully realize its impact, further pilot testing, regulatory approvals, and industry partnerships will be necessary. With the right investment and market integration strategies, this innovation has the potential to revolutionize natural antioxidant production, promoting a more sustainable and circular bioeconomy.