The work on Cultivation and harvesting focused on the optimisation of strains and processes for improved and sustainable industrial production of microalgae. Three species highly valued in aquaculture and cosmetic markets were targeted: Nannochloropsis oceanica, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Tisochrysis lutea. The latter was for the first time cultivated in industrial tubular photobioreactors. Ultimately, two novel, improved and stable strains of T. lutea were successfully selected and cultivated under the optimised protocols, which resulted in cultivation with higher productivities, extended production season and lower production costs.
In the framework of Ingredient production from the algae biomass, cell disruption via bead milling was optimized in terms of energy consumption and recovery yield at lab scale. Pilot scale disruption and solid/liquid separation using a centrifuge, was successfully performed. The hydrophobic fraction was provided to partners for extractions using Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) and Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE). Bead milling, separation, membrane filtration, SFE and PLE and extraction using Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) were optimised at lab scale for each microalgae strain. The obtained data served as basis to design an integrated biorefinery pathway for each strain. Finally, ingredients were produced at pilot scale and used for product development. Obtained process parameters and data were used as input for the Techno Economic Assessment (TEA) and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
The work on Product development and formulation & regulatory framework, aimed at identifying novel high-value ingredients and developing algae-rich products with applications in the food, (fish) feed and cosmetic sectors, while assessing the legal aspects regulating its use in these various markets. After identifying and characterizing their functional properties, several algae extracts were tested in end-product prototypes. A T. lutea oleoresin, extracted by PLE, was found to act as a natural antioxidant to extend the shelf-life of butter, pork meat sausages and aquafeeds. A water-soluble β-glucans extract from P. tricornutum was an immunostimulant in fish, but showed also a hypocholesterolemic effect with potential interest for use in functional beverages. Peptide/lipid extracts from T. lutea have shown a strong antimicrobial activity towards oral cavity pathogens, raising interest on oral care, confectionary and petfood applications. A fucoxanthin-rich oleoresin extracted from Tisochrysis lutea was successfully used in a cosmetic global anti-aging serum prototype.
The work on Value chain analysis resulted in the building of different models to assess cost, environmental and social sustainability. The processes and experimental results from MAGNIFICENT were integrated to develop the bespoke models as well as the baseline models for commercial products. Projections led to results on costs and sustainability. Several potentially economic-profitable scenarios were identified for T. lutea and P. tricornutum. Life-Cycle-Assessment and Social-Life-Cycle Assessment models were produced to understand the environmental and social impacts. These models identified the electricity use in the cultivation phase as the major source of all impacts, and various options were offered to reduce these impacts.
The work on Dissemination & Exploitation: The analysis and selection of the most probable industrial scenarios and business cases for the whole value chain were carried out regarding different key aspects such as techno-economic feasibility, market potential and needs, social trends, competition and regulatory issues. The economic feasibility of a unique production facility has been demonstrated as possible in some conditions highlighting both business opportunities and risks for the project. Other activities were realized to reach optimal exploitation, IPR management, communication and dissemination of project results towards all major stakeholders (companies, universities, policymakers…) and the general public.
