Alginor ASA’s Post

Innovate UK Grant Propels Scottish Seaweed Innovation   MBL Marine Biopolymers Ltd., a leading innovator in sustainable seaweed processing, is pleased to announce successful funding from Innovate UK for the Alginic-acid to Safety (A2S) project. This £335,000 grant will support the development of alginic acid created from seaweed processing into adsorbents for the filtration of toxic gases. The project, Alginic acid to Safety (A2S), centres on the transformation of a key product from seaweed processing, Alginic Acid, into novel materials (Starbon®) developed by Starbons Limited with superior performance in the field of toxic gas filtration. Scotland has a long history with seaweed processing dating back to the 18th century. Although primary alginate production in Scotland ceased early in the 21st century, Ayrshire based Marine Biopolymers Limited is now using patented, state of the art seaweed processing technology to once more produce materials in Scotland. These products (including alginic acid) have a wide variety of end use applications. Partnering MBL Marine Biopolymers Ltd is Starbons Ltd, a company that holds patents for the manufacture of cutting-edge adsorbents (Starbon®) which are manufactured from Alginic Acid. Additional project partners include the University of York (specifically, the @Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence), the Biorenewables Development Centre (an open-access research and development organisation specialising in scaling-up and helping to commercialise bio-based products) and ICMEA-UK Ltd (an engineering company specialising in scale up of processes from pilot to commercial The project’s aim is to achieve product scale up from already demonstrated pilot processes operated separately by MBL Marine Biopolymers Ltd and Starbons Ltd. The longer-term vision is to invest in a co-located, integrated full scale production facility making use of indigenous, sustainably available seaweed, and Scotland’s abundant renewable energy in an optimised, low emissions process. Kirsty Neilson MRSC David Mackie Robert McElroy Susan Brench Peter Hurst Mark Gronnow Helen Sneddon duncan macquarrie Malcolm Glendenning Rachel Jefferson #seaweed #innovation #greenchemistry

Three years after its end, the European research project #Zelcor (“Zero Waste Ligno-Cellulosic Biorefineries by Integrated Lignin Valorisation”) continues to bear fruit with its last open access publication on technical lignins' safety. This paper results from a collaboration between Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS, France), # Wageningen Food and Biobased Research (WFBR, The Netherlands), BEES Design (Italy), Avantium Chemicals B.V. (The Netherlands), and Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin for Plant Sciences (IJPB).   Many thanks to all the co-authors and more particularly the INERIS team Guy MARLAIR, Thangavelu JAYABALAN, Pascal PANDARD, Binotto Ghislain, Julien Gomes, Xavier Ceschini, Aurélie AUBE who performed the safety tests and led the paper publication. Zelcor received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 720303. The project was awarded the “Stars of Europe” ("Etoiles de l'Europe") special jury prize in 2021.   #bioeconomy #BBI #lignins #lignocellulose #biorefineries #sustainability #safety

I'm excited to share that I have successfully completed my major project on the topic "Designing and development of a photobioreactor for the mass multiplication of algae". We developed a lab-scale photobioreactor for cultivating Scenedesmus obliquus to promote a circular economy. Cultivation of phototrophic organisms is gaining importance due to their versatility and high biomass yield. Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on using photobioreactors (PBRs) in various biotechnological applications, especially for cultivating microalgae. PBRs offer significant benefits, such as reducing toxicity and providing optimal cultivation conditions for photosynthetic microorganisms. However, challenges in designing and scaling up PBRs, including substantial capital investment and operating costs, have resulted in a shortage of suitable PBRs for large-scale production. Our project focuses on optimizing the algal growth medium to create ideal conditions for development. We have designed and developed a photobioreactor to enable the mass multiplication of algae, ensuring efficient cultivation processes. Additionally, a real-time monitoring system has been implemented to track the growth of Scenedesmus obliquus, allowing for precise observation and analysis of its development over time. These efforts aim to advance the understanding and application of algae cultivation for various purposes, driving innovation and progress in the field. #innovation #productdevelopmemt #algaeforfuture #researchanddevelopment #greenenergy #photobioreactor #sustainablefuel #zaarabiotech #fuelInnovation

Starbons Ltd started life as a spin out from the University of York’s Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence. Since 2018 we have been an independent business with a technology platform under-pinned by rigorous academic research. The name Starbon® was established in the early days of our work to add value to starch, which we carbonise to fix the structure and give our materials a longer shelf life. Today Starbon’s mesoporous materials are derived from a range of biorenewable polysaccharides. The Starbon® materials that we produce from starch, alginic acid, and pectin have tuneable surface functionalities, and range from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, making them particularly effective for selectively separating one entity from another and for certain capture applications. This is an important next step in our journey. #collaboration #innovation #sustainability

Session 3: Feed 🐟 Our third session gathered 4 presentations to discuss the research and the use of algae for feed 🙂: ➡️ Begoña Bustamante Gonzalez (Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias): Revaluation of microalgae production effluent: a strategy for long-term sustainable cultivation of Tetraselmis striata in an operational environment ➡️ Ana Teresa Gonçalves (GreenCoLab/SPAROS, Lda): The alliance between algae biorefinery and fish nutrigenomics for precision functional aquafeeds ➡️ Adelheid (Heidi) Kuehnle (Kuehnle AgroSystems Inc.): Proving the critics wrong – heterotrophic Haematococcus pluvialis produces abundant astaxanthin without light! ➡️ Inês Beatriz Maia (Necton, S.A.): Biomass of Tetradesmus obliquus and Raphidonema monicae produced through a circular economy approach for atlantic salmon feeds Thanks to our four speakers for their very interesting presentations! —————— Carlos Unamunzaga, Jean-Paul Cadoret, Vitor Verdelho, Lisandra Meinerz, Monique Ras - de Moncuit, Anne Pajot, Léa Braud, Kuno Jacobs, Kim Kreuser, Anna Ivanko #algae #microalgae #seaweed #biomass #marinebiology #research #innovation #science #madebyalgae #madeinocean #algaeurope2023

Innovate UK Grant Propels Scottish Seaweed Innovation MBL Marine Biopolymers Ltd., a leading innovator in sustainable seaweed processing, is pleased to announce successful funding from Innovate UK for the Alginic-acid to Safety (A2S) project. This £335,000 grant will support the development of alginic acid created from seaweed processing into adsorbents for the filtration of toxic gases. The project, Alginic acid to Safety (A2S), centres on the transformation of a key product from seaweed processing, Alginic Acid, into novel materials (Starbon®) developed by Starbons Ltd with superior performance in the field of toxic gas filtration. Scotland has a long history with seaweed processing dating back to the 18th century. Although primary alginate production in Scotland ceased early in the 21st century, Ayrshire based Marine Biopolymers Limited is now using patented, state of the art seaweed processing technology to once more produce materials in Scotland. These products (including alginic acid) have a wide variety of end use applications. Partnering MBL Marine Biopolymers Ltd is Starbons Ltd, a company that holds patents for the manufacture of cutting-edge adsorbents (Starbon®) which are manufactured from Alginic Acid. Additional project partners include the University of York (specifically, the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence), the Biorenewables Development Centre (an open-access research and development organisation specialising in scaling-up and helping to commercialise bio-based products) and ICMEA-UK Ltd (an engineering company specialising in scale up of processes from pilot to commercial The project’s aim is to achieve product scale up from already demonstrated pilot processes operated separately by MBL Marine Biopolymers Ltd and Starbons Ltd. The longer-term vision is to invest in a co-located, integrated full scale production facility making use of indigenous, sustainably available seaweed, and Scotland’s abundant renewable energy in an optimised, low emissions process. Kirsty Neilson MRSC David Mackie Robert McElroy Susan Brench Peter Hurst Mark Gronnow Helen Sneddon Duncan Macquarrie Malcolm Glendenning Rachel Jefferson #seaweed #innovation #greenchemistry

Dear seaweed & microalgae investors, operators, and technologists, here are 12 noteworthy developments in the algae space in recent weeks: 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝 📈 Aker BP launches kelp carbon removal project in Norway. 🌿 (Paper) Substantial kelp detritus exported beyond the continental shelf by dense shelf water transport. 📈 Japan's pioneering 'Blue Carbon' initiative: Reporting 360,000 tons of seaweed and seagrass carbon absorption to the U.N. 💸 Berlin-based Vyld secures seven-figure seed to launch the world’s first tampon made from seaweed. 🤝 Quiksilver and Uluu team up to create innovative seaweed-based wax combs for surfers. 🌿 Launch of Seaweed Gang Ideathon. 🌿 Norwegian Marine Restoration (NoMaRe) initiative: A collaborative effort to restore kelp forests along Norway's coast. 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐚𝐞 🤝 HutanBio, a microalgae biofuel company, has secured investment from Clean Growth Fund. 🌊 PhycoWorks and FlexSea announce the completion of a £100,000 microalgae bioplastics feasibility study. 🟢 Algama SAS introduces algae-based vegan seafood alternative. 🤝 Simris secures €2m microalgae biomass offtake agreement. 🟢 Brightseed's Dr. Jim Flatt sheds light on nutrition's 'dark matter'. Find out more about these updates (and so many more) at: https://lnkd.in/ez_SCUKQ Hope you enjoy! #algae #seaweed #climate #tech #innovation #ocean #aquaculture

Great newsletter to subscribe to if you want to keep in touch with what's happening in the world of Algae. Thanks to Peter Green and the Paxtier report. ps. It also mentions our recent investment news 🤩 #algae #microalgae #vcfund #angelinvesting #biofuels

🤝 Meet Project Partner DBFZ Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gemeinnützige GmbH! 🔋⚡DBFZ is a no-profit organization that develops concepts for the economically #viable, ecologically #harmless and socially #acceptable energetic use of #biomass. It is based in Leipzig, Germany, and aims to research and evaluate technologies for the #energetic and #integrated material use of #biogenic resources. 🌿 In the BIOEAST & BOOST4BIOEAST project, DBFZ is leader of WP3, "𝐸𝑛𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑜-𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑦-𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠". The goals of the WP are to create and apply a common #framework to identify and assess biomass #feedstocks and their uses, and bioeconomy-related #competencies, required for a #sustainable transition in the BIOEAST at national level. To provide #institutions, #authorities, and #decisionmakers in BIOEAST countries with relevant up-to-date data and enhance peer-to-peer exchanges by connecting bioeconomy actors with complementary competencies. Finally, to provide #stakeholders with #insights to support evidence-based decision making. 👓 Get to know DBFZ here: https://www.dbfz.de/en/ #bioeconomy #BOOST4BIOEAST #HorizonEurope #HorizonProject Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU)

💡 Exclusive Site Visit💡 We are excited to announce an exclusive opportunity as part of the 6th European Conference Future of Biofuels 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark! Join us on 22nd October 2024 for a unique opportunity to visit state-of-the-art power plant Meliora Bio. 🌱 Meliora Bio is the world's first full-scale, second-generation bioethanol plant. They specialize in producing bioethanol from agricultural and forestry residues, significantly reducing CO2 emissions when blended with gasoline. This sustainable bioethanol is pivotal for future fuel solutions, making a 1:1 reduction in up to 90 percent of car CO2 emissions possible. 📍 Register now for the conference: https://buff.ly/3zzPSbB Don’t miss this unique opportunity to witness cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices that are shaping the future of biofuels. #FutureOfBiofuels2024 #Biofuels #SustainableEnergy #MelioraBio