Science
Our mission:
Advance sustainable microalgae production and processing
Microalgae production and processing costs are high, limiting the market share of the microalgae industry despite its potential for the politically-supported shift to a bio-based economy.
In the ALLIANCE project, we are transforming microalgae from niche products into affordable everyday essentials for industries and consumers by developing new, circular ways to produce and process microalgae sustainably and cost-effectively.
What microalgae value chains we re-design
Spirulina
- Cultivation system: Raceway pond
- Cultivation mode: Phototrophic
- Extracted ingredients: Phycocyanin, peptides, carbohydrates, lipids
- Developed products: Fermented beverages, cell culture media
Galdieria sulphuraria
- Cultivation system: Fermenter
- Cultivation mode: Heterotrophic
- Extracted ingredients: Phycocyanin, peptides, carbohydrates, lipids
- Developed products: Food and beverages, aquafeed, cell culture media, biopesticides
Chlorella
- Cultivation system: Tubular photobioreactor & fermenter
- Cultivation mode: Mixotrophic & heterotrophic
- Extracted ingredients: Protein, carbohydrates, lipids
- Developed products: Fermented beverages, food, aquafeed,
Nannochloropsis
- Cultivation system: Tubular photobioreactor
- Cultivation mode: Autotrophic
- Extracted ingredients: Lipids, peptides
- Developed products: Functional aquafeed, biopesticides
How we make microalgae production and processing more sustainable and cost-effective
1. Solutions centred on sustainability and safety
Ensure human and environmental safety
We analyse human and environmental toxicity, hazards, and ecotoxicological effects following the “Safe and Sustainable by Design” framework. Throughout the project, we evaluate and address risks to come up with safe and sustainable solutions that comply with the Safe and Sustainable by Design criteria and regulatory standards.
Ensure environmental, social, and economic sustainability
We evaluate the environmental and social impacts and cost drivers across the established value chains through life cycle (LCA), social LCA (sLCA), and techno-economic (TEA) assessments. These evaluations guide process optimisation and ensure the developed solutions are efficient, sustainable, and economically viable.
2. Microalgae production of the next generation
Develop industriophile algae strains
We adapt algae strains to thrive at new production conditions such as higher or lower temperatures and acidic environments using random mutagenesis and adaptive evolution. These more resilient strains enable year-round production and reduce contamination risks.
Making linear production circular
We reuse industrial output waters and the nutrients therein. For efficient recovery and reuse, we analyse the composition of industrial output waters including hydroponic crop production, vegetable processing, brewing, cultured meat, aquaculture and microalgae production itself.
Optimise and automate cultivation systems
We implement mechanical upgrades and automation into cultivation systems to precisely control medium composition and other production parameters. The upgrades maximise productivity and resource efficiency of the cultivation systems.
Integrate artificial intelligence in decision making
We design a control system that uses AI to analyse production data and that can cope with highly variable conditions and environmental uncertainties. This system helps operators maintain a steady, high-efficiency production.
3. Efficient processing for scalable biorefineries
Optimise biomass disruption
We evaluate high-pressure homogenisation and bead milling to identify the optimal cell disruption method that maximises product release while preserving product integrity. This enhances pre-treatment efficiency to improve extraction yields in the next processing steps.
Convert biomass into multiple products
We develop workflows to extract multiple ingredients from a single wet biomass. Using environmentally-friendly membrane filtration, enzymatic hydrolysis, water-based and supercritical CO2 extraction, we establish optimised fractionation methods to maximise compound recovery while preserving quality and reducing energy use.
Scale-up the biorefineries
We extract compounds with the workflows we developed at industrial scale to demonstrate their commercial viability. Producing at least eight ingredients, we test scalability and efficiency, identify bottlenecks and optimise operations. This ensures the processes are robust, efficient, and market ready.
4. Manufacturing of affordable microalgae products
Identify the most promising extracts
We characterise microalgae extracts for their nutritional composition, functionality, safety, and bioactivity. We then select the most promising extracts based on yield, cost, and performance, and apply an innovative solvent-free super critical CO₂ stabilisation process to ensure high shelf life and product integrity.
Develop product prototypes
We create different products using the most suitable microalgae extracts for each application, and optimise their formulation to define ideal incorporation levels and processing conditions. We test each product for safety, functionality, and shelf life to ensure consistent quality and performance.
Scale up product manufacturing
We scale up the production of the most promising products from laboratory to pilot plant scale, optimising parameters for processing, formulation, packaging, and storage to ensure consistent quality, safety, and shelf life. These steps ensure that the products we developed from microalgae are ready for industrial manufacturing and market uptake.
What’s new at ALLIANCE
Who’s behind ALLIANCE
ALLIANCE unites 19 European innovators from academia and industry with interdisciplinary expertise in bioprocess and chemical engineering, biotechnology, food science, animal nutrition, automation, business development, sustainability and policy.