Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AgriLoop (AgriLoop: Pushing the frontier of circular agriculture by converting residues into novel economic, social and environmental opportunities)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-12-01 bis 2024-05-31
AgriLoop aims to extend the agricultural production value of two major global bioeconomy players: the EU and China, by eco-efficiently upgrading underexploited residues into a portfolio of high added-value bio-products able to generate new bio-based markets or to compete with, and gain market share of, oil- and food crops- based equivalents. AgriLoop will develop safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) bioconversion processes integrated in a cascading biorefinery approach to convert a range of agri-residues into plant and microbial proteins, polyesters and other bio-based chemicals to be used for food, feed, health and materials applications, especially by the farming sector.
During this first period, AgriLoop has achieved progresses in i)Pathway identification and assessment. Practical opportunities and barriers and SSbD criteria were explored, leading to the prioritization of pathways (residue streams and end-products) based on the aggregation of stakeholder’s preferences and superstructure flowsheet models and softwares. A comprehensive dataset of agri-residues composition and availability, including hazardous substances and generated volumes was compiled. Potential microbial, chemical and physical contaminants were identified in these residues. Additionally, a framework was established for early-stage environmental sustainability assessment for low TRL technologies. ii) Sustainable extraction processes. Environmentally friendly extraction methods employing enzymes and green solvents were developed to isolate valuable biomolecules, including proteins, cutin, polyphenols, carotenoids and dietary fibers, without compromising their functional integrity. iii) Enhanced bioconversion processes. Bioconversion methods were optimized for producing microbial proteins and polyesters (PHA) with improved yields. This was achieved through innovative biomass pretreatments techniques including fungal hydrolysis, supercritical CO2, and subcritical water. iv) End-users driven products and scaling up technologies. A frugal design mindset was employed to develop biobased, and fully biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics for the farming sector. Preliminary results indicated promising scale-up potential for microbial proteins, fertilizers and PHAs, and the feasibility of producing a portfolio of biomaterials from PHA and cutin. v) Ensuring maximal exploitation of the results. Best practice abstracts were produced and first results were already disseminated in articles, webinars and conferences, both for the scientific community and the general public. Agriloop totalizes so far around 4 000 followers through social media in Europe and China. Finally, both coordination from EU and CN carried out a work of alignment (deliverables and milestones) in order to guarantee the perfect collaboration between the two sides of the project.
Agriloop has achieved substantial progress beyond the state of the art in multiple domains: i) Integrated Design of Conversion Technologies. For the first time, technical, environmental, safety, and socio-economic criteria were incorporated into the early design stages of conversion technologies and product development. New modeling and AI tools were developed to capture and analyze stakeholder preferences, link agri-residues to profit estimates for derived products, address limitations in conventional LCA by integrating consequential and prospective approaches that dynamically evaluate both foreground and background systems, and early estimate / optimize feedstock-to-product pathways. This will allow to effectively balance economic and sustainability criteria. Furthermore, persistent contaminants in agri-residues, including mycotoxins, pesticides, and microplastics, were identified, with pioneering studies on their interactions and decontamination throughout the cascading processes. ii) Native Biomolecule Recovery. Significant advancements were made in biomolecule extraction, with proteins successfully isolated from unconventional residues, such as tomato and brewer’s spent grain, via enzymatic extraction. Environmentally friendly solvents, including ionic liquids and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES), enabled the extraction of cutin in its polymeric form (without structural modification) and simultaneous extraction of polyphenols and carotenoids. NADES-based extraction is, for the first time, being developed to extract cutin and polyphenols concurrently. iii) Enhanced Bioconversion Processes. Tailored bioconversion techniques were introduced, where biomass pretreatment using innovative methods, such as fungal hydrolysis, thermophilic mixed-culture fermentation, and supercritical CO2, resulted in doubled yields of carboxylic acids compared to conventional methods. These acids were utilized by select microorganisms to produce both microbial proteins and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and PHA production was achieved in continuous processes with mixed microbial cultures. iv) Developing new biobased materials and up-scaling technologies in a frugal design approach. For the first time, agri-residues were transformed into biomaterials adhering to a frugal design philosophy and tailored to meet farmers’ specific needs. Based on the project’s advancements, PHA and cutin production were successfully scaled up, resulting in a preliminary portfolio of biomaterials developed from these polymers. v) Strong interactions between Europe and China. A common strategy for data management and dissemination has been set up, by taking care in strongly involving the stakeholders.