At project start, the project identity was created, establishing the project logo, website (www.aquabioprofit.eu) and reporting/presentation templates. Market opportunities and barriers, such as potential patents limiting the exploitation of the project results and competing products in the market were identified early on. Side stream materials from fisheries and aquaculture (heads, guts, backbones, skin, liver, gills and fillets from Atlantic salmon, European seabass, Gilthead seabream, blue whiting, herring, and mackerel) were analysed extensively for their content in proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, macro- and trace minerals, as well as undesirable compounds. Ciona intestinalis culture was established, and the production has been successful yielding biomasses for both tests and commercial applications, including studying the rheological properties of the material in the production of extruded feeds for Atlantic salmon and food such as ciona fond, ciona cream and ciona burgers. Co-culturing Ciona intestinalis with salmonids in RAS and macroalgae in the sea was also tested. Innovative processing methods for fish side streams for the production of food and nutritional supplement ingredients for humans were identified, including conventional and non-conventional technologies such as heat processing, chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis, filtration, Supercritical CO2 extraction and pulse electric fields. Lab, pilot, and large-scale trials have been performed and prototype ingredients (protein hydrolysates from different fish fractions and species, including marine collagen and oils, and healthier meat and fish cake products with marine extracts) tested for safety and bioactivity in relevant biochemical, in cell culture and mice model studies. Based on the screening results we designed the nutritional supplements for the planed clinical studies, and produced them in the consortium factories (Seagarden and Nofima). The ingredient and product sensory properties have been extensively studied and the presentation of the supplements to the clinical study participants defined (smoothie for the athletes and tablets/capsules for the skin, hair and nail, anxiety, and pH balance trials). Clinical study protocols, volunteer selection questionnaires, and ethical committee approvals were prepared, and the trials were completed successfully. Technical, economic, social, and environmental evaluation of the AQUABIOPRO-FIT technologies has been performed by Life cycle cost analysis and life cycle assessment. The project’s data management, communication and dissemination plans were followed through the project. Project data were stored on line, published in newsletters, repositories, open access scientific journals, press releases, popular magazines, social media and presented in conferences, webinars and workshops. Training modules on selected project themes offering participation certificate are created and available online for free. The industrial partners are further developing the project technologies and investing in relevant processing equipment and facilities, for biomass hydrolysis, separation, drying and ciona ingredient harvesting and processing.
