GENetic diversity exploitation for Innovative macro-ALGal biorefinery

Informations

Funding country

France

Acronym

2015-GENIALG

URL

-

Start date

1/1/2015

End date

-

Budget

30,000 EUR

Fundings

Abstract

The increasing demand for seaweed biomass is worldwide and the EU, with its world’s largest maritime territory, has the potential (native resource and space) to launch large scale production units in response to this demand. Currently in Europe, seaweed biomass exploitation relies on the harvesting of wild populations for the colloid industry (alginates, carrageenans, agar-agar) which stands for an economic value of about 1/10th of the world seaweed economy. However, as stated in the recent Marine BioTech ERA-MBT report (1), the composition of seaweed offers a much larger range of high value molecules able to reach different sectors such as nutrition and health, green chemicals, feed, and ultimately energy, but which are still underexploited. Developing concern on environmental impacts due to harvesting pressure has encouraged seaweed farming projects throughout European waters. In a biological point of view, the potential impact on seaweed genetic diversity has triggered concern for sustainable practices. Preserving natural genetic diversity is a pre-requisite for developing efficient resource production through farming. Indeed, genotype and phenotype diversity within wild populations can offer a wide diversity of interesting traits for the industry. Compared to land agriculture selected cultivars we benefit today (maize, wheat…), farming seaweed is now at an early age and an inevitable leap in knowledge is now expected. Besides the lack of fundamental knowledge, existing gaps between lab-scale and industry also hinders the development of seaweed exploitation. Moreover, regarding seaweed cultivation and innovative exploitation, EU countries are facing the same technological challenges, environmental concerns as well as financial and legal barriers. This present proposal GENIALG will tackle these issues by fostering high level research scientists specialized in phycology, algal biotechnologies, chemistry and genomics as well as technical institutes, seaweed farms and industries for the development of final marketable products, covers this wide range. This cross-sectorial partnership supports an integrated and sustainable approach by: • Further developing appropriate genomic and post-genomic tools to identify and study genetic and targeted traits able to provide industrial demand. • Providing existing large scale seaweed biomass production sites throughout European waters • Involving a large diversity of private companies already positioned in the seaweed sector individually for different applications (texturants, feed, agriculture, bioplastics, pharmaceuticals…) in order to strengthen interactions for developing a bio-refinery concept and promote efficient and sustainable exploitation of seaweed biomass. GENIALG will cover both upstream and downstream processing of seaweed for manufacturing new algae-based products for the market. : - Cultivation: Upstream seaweed production i.e. development of new technologies for breeding, cultivation, harvesting and storage - Biorefinery: Downstream processing of seaweed development of new and existing methods for pretreatment, fractionation, extraction and purification methods of biomolecules and polymers as well as fermentation of leftover sugars to added-value products. Concern will be given to high level research on seaweed omics and metabolic knowledge in order to guide efficient selection and production of biomass and bio-molecules. Legal aspects regarding genetic resource throughout Europe, access and benefit sharing will be addressed in order to focus on sustainable uses of native biomass. Socio-economic impacts together with environmental risks and benefits are also expected to be studied.