Project description
Microbial biorefinery for converting vegetal wastes into food-grade products
Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) and olive mill waste (OMW) are two of the most abundant agro-industrial by-products worldwide. They also pose environmental risks while offering valuable biomolecules. Although rich in proteins, lipids and phenolic compounds, current recovery methods are fragmented and limited in scalability. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the GRASP project will create a food-grade microbial biorefinery using a co-culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica to convert SCG and OMW into proteins, biosurfactants and antioxidants. Recovery methods will include ultrasound extraction and membrane separation, while stabilisation techniques will enhance product bioaccessibility. The resulting ingredients will be validated in various food systems, supporting the EU’s Green Deal and sustainable food initiatives.
Objective
Agro-industrial residues represent a major environmental and economic challenge, yet also a valuable source of functional biomolecules. Among them, spent coffee grounds (SCG) and olive mill waste (OMW) are produced in millions of tons annually in Europe, generating risks of eutrophication, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil pollution. These residues are rich in proteins, lipids, and phenolic compounds, making them promising candidates for sustainable upcycling. However, current valorization strategies are fragmented, typically recovering single compounds through solvent-intensive or monoculture-based methods, with limited scalability and economic feasibility. Here we propose a food-grade microbial biorefinery (GRASP) that integrates microbial co-cultures, green recovery processes, and food technology validation to address this gap. A co-culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica will be optimized to simultaneously convert sugar- and lipid-rich fractions of SCG and OMW into proteins, biosurfactants, and antioxidants. Residue-derived phenolics and microbial antioxidants will be characterized by HPLC-MS/MS and complementary antioxidant assays, while proteins and biosurfactants will be recovered using ultrasound-assisted extraction, membrane separation, foam fractionation, and mild acid precipitation. Stabilization strategies, including spray-drying, alginate encapsulation, and co-precipitation, will generate multifunctional complexes with improved stability and bioaccessibility. The recovered fractions will then be validated in model food and nutraceutical systems (emulsions, oils, beverages) by assessing oxidative stability, emulsification, and nutritional enrichment. This integrated approach provides the first demonstration of multi-product recovery from SCG and OMW, creating scalable, clean-label ingredients that support EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork goals for sustainable food systems.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies food technology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- engineering and technology chemical engineering separation technologies
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
- social sciences economics and business economics sustainable economy
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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18071 Granada
Spain
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