NOVEL, SUSTAINABLE MARINE BIO-SURFACTANT / BIO-EMULSIFIERS FOR COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION

Project Information

MARISURF

Grant agreement ID: 635340

DOI

10.3030/635340

Project closed

EC signature date 18 February 2015

Start date 1 September 2015

End date 28 February 2021

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 4 749 647,50

EU contribution

€ 4 749 647,50

Coordinated by

HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - MARISURF (NOVEL, SUSTAINABLE MARINE BIO-SURFACTANT / BIO-EMULSIFIERS FOR COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION)

Reporting period: 2019-09-01 to 2021-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Chemicals used in everyday consumer products are made mainly from petroleum-based feedstocks (not sustainable due to depletion of oil & gas reserves). One group of chemicals used extensively in industry & consumer products are surfactants & emulsifiers (SAs). SAs are molecules that can adsorb to surfaces. In some products, they are used to form oil droplets in water, thus modifying the texture & stability of cosmetic creams or fat-containing foods. In cleaning & personal care products, they act as detergents allowing easy removal of dirt, oil & stains. However, SAs are not without their problems. Their manufacturing produces greenhouse gases, & the chemicals are usually non-biodegradable & toxic, so once in the environment, they can be harmful to aquatic plants & animals. Their “synthetic”, or “chemical” nature is unpopular with consumers as this is associated with unhealthy ingredients .Even current natural SAs are problematic. Some such as monoglycerides are made from palm oil, a product with poor environmental credentials. Similarly, protein emulsifiers such as egg & milk proteins are animal-based products & contribute to greenhouse gases & pollution. Consequently, many consumer goods manufacturers are looking to replace synthetic & non-sustainable SAs with natural molecules, so called biosurfactants & bioemulsifiers to overcome consumer concerns over the effect of SAs on the environment and their own wellbeing.
MARISURF demonstrated the ability of natural biosurfactants & bioemulsifiers to replace SAs of a chemical nature. To do this required the combined expertise of 12 partner organizations from 6 European countries spanning the academic & industrial sectors. These included 5 universities: Heriot Watt (UK), Ulster (UK), Democritus University of Thrace (Greece), Patras (Greece), Northumbria (UK); 4 industrial companies: Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant VZW (Belgium), EcoTechSystens Srl (Italy), Nova-Institut fur politische und okologische innovation GmbH (Germany), Acondicionamiento Tarrasense Association (LEITAT, Spain); & 3 end-user companies: APIVITA SA (cosmetics, Greece), Marlow Foods Ltd (food, UK), Nanoimmunotech SL (nanomedicine, Spain). The breadth of skills available in the consortium contributed to achieving the objectives of Marisurf, namely to,
• discover, characterize & scale up production of novel marine-derived biosurfactants from a large bacterial collection
• develop novel, economic, & eco-friendly biosurfactant & bioemulsifier end-products with commercial applications to replace synthetic counterparts
• demonstrate the functionality of novel biosurfactants & bioemulsifiers in the products of cosmetic, food & nanomedicine end users.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Marisurf progressed through a cascade of linked work packages covering the scientific & technical aspects of the project. First, we screened 570 bacteria from the collection & identified 80 that produced suitable biosurfactants or bioemulsifiers. From this we selected the best 6 strains for further study. Each strain was taken through a process of fermentation optimization to ensure sufficient quantities could be produced. The structure & composition of the produced biosurfactants & bioemulsifiers were characterised & the functionality, toxicity & ecotoxicity mapped to ensure they had the properties required by the end users & were safe for humans & for the environment. Additional properties, such as anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory & anti-microbial activity, were screened to see if the biosurfactants & bioemulsifiers could offer additional benefits to end users. One bioemulsifier, named 34d, was chosen for larger scale production & extensive end-user testing. During scale up production significant quantities of bacterial endotoxin were co-produced along with the 34d bioemulsifier. This presented a significant challenge as endotoxin presents a potential health hazard, & levels are controlled in many consumer products. Thus, considerable effort was expended in identifying methods to remove endotoxin from the bioemulsifier.
Of the 6 biosurfactants & bioemulsifiers, 2 were identified as rhamnolipid biosurfactants & the remaining 4 as glycoprotein bioemulsifiers. All 6 were shown to have good emulsifying, & foaming, properties with the 4 bioemuslifiers also having thickening & gelation properties. For all 6 products, the toxicity & ecotoxicity was comparable or better than currently used surfactants & bioemulsifiers. The 34d bioemulsifier showed significantly better emulsifying properties than comparable emulsifiers. When tested in end user products, encouraging results were found for cosmetic & nanomedicine applications. For food applications results were less conclusive. Apivita tested the 34d bioemulsifier in an eye makeup remover & a shower gel formulation as a replacer for commercial SAs, & found that this was technically & economically feasible. Similarly, Nanoimmunotech found that 34d bioemulsiifier could be used successfully to replace cationic surfactants & chemical reducing agents in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles.

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)

The potential impacts of the Marisurf project are widespread. The consortium has developed promising naturally derived SAs from discovery, through to proof of concept, industrial production & application in product formulations by commercial end users. This is exciting & novel. The collaboration within the consortium has led to further opportunities to integrate industrial & academic research.
The immediate impact is on the cosmetic & nanomedicine industries that have demonstrated the efficacy of bioemulsifiers in their products. More widely, the Marisurf consortium has identified 20 producers of rhamnolipid biosurfactants. Importantly, several of the bacterial strains are non-pathogenic, unlike the most common commercial rhamnolipid producer, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This offers the possibility of expandng rhamnolipid applications into new industry sectors that would not accept product produced by a pathogen. Additionally, 40 bioemulsifier producers have been identified. The current choice of commercial bacterial emulsifiers is low (e.g. xanthan), & expanding the available range would increase their application in a number of industries. The functional & bioactive potential of these surfactants & emulsifiers has been demonstrated, & routes to larger scale production outlined. Overall, the potential of marine bacteria as a resource for biosurfactant/ bioemulsifier identification & exploitation has been proven. Replacing current synthetic or non-sustainable consumer product SAs is a priority of many manufacturers, driven by consumer demand for more natural (clean-label) products. Alternatives derived from bacteria can address this market opportunity, expanding the potential field of commercialisation for marine microorganisms. This leads to creation of jobs, financial benefits & enhances the competitiveness & sustainability of the growing European biotechnology industry. The SAs being developed are likely to be less or completely non-toxic, biodegradable & more environmentally friendly than their synthetic chemical compounds, thus satisfying consumer demand for greener ingredients. Replacing synthetic or non-sustainable ingredients with bacterial counterparts benefits the environment by reducing: reliance on petrochemicals, deforestation for palm oil plantations, environmental pollution & effects of animal farming (land use, pollution).

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