Biorrefinarias de microalgas e cianobactérias autóctones para o desenvolvimento de alimento nutracêutico para animais e produtos cosmecêuticos

The main objective is the valorization of autochthonous strains of microalgae and cyanobacteria to be used in the Azorean industry, by the development of products together with local industry, and the generation of patents based on genetic resources from the region. These will support industrial production and application, following innovative and state-of-the-art methods within a circular economy, carbon-neutral, and zero-waste approach to its production cycle. The following objectives are expected: O1) Select valuable nutraceutical strains with concentrations of amino acids, vitamins and PUFAs, or bioactivities of interest for animal feed production in a biorefinery approach: The identification of valuable nutraceutical strains is important, supporting microalgae strains for their high value in increasing health and animal well-being. The identification of amino acids and vitamins might also report additional sources of key nutrients for the development of poultry, and possibly a more sustainable or more cost-effective way to obtain them. The identification of high value strains can increase the region’s resilience and decrease dependency on other regions for nutritional supplements for feed production. O2) Select reported strains with bioactive extracts in zebrafish larvae using green solvent extracts suitable for cosmeceuticals application in a biorefinery approach: The identification of strains with bioactive extracts in the cosmeceutical field will support the region as an important source of new bioactive compounds, reenforcing its importance and the preservation of the region biodiversity. The use of bioactive extracts in cosmetics supports the need for natural and biological sources for bioactive compounds, increasing human health and well-being. O3) Develop a nutraceutical microalgae-enriched feed TRL7 product, suitable for industrial application: The production of new microalgae-enriched feed in an industrial process is a key step for product acceptance and utilization. The utilization of the new product in trials will assess its viability, impact and benefits supporting its wide-spread utilization and adoption in the region and support world-wide application, following scientific and industry collaboration, and supported by feasibility and LCA analysis. The support from industrial application and scientific data will support application to regulatory entities for microalgae use in feed. O4) Produce stable cosmeceutical products TRL6, enriched with bioactive extracts of microalgae/cyanobacteria: The production of cosmeceutical stable prototypes will support downstream work in human testing, proving alternatives for increasing human health and well-being, thus promoting preventive medicine by the use of cosmeceuticals products. The production of these products supports the industry and its potential, attracting stakeholders and reenforcing the microalgae and cyanobacteria potential in cosmeceuticals, and potentially also pharmaceuticals. O5) Identify bioactive compound for extract valorization and patent generation: The identification of the bioactive compounds will support SOP development, allowing the quantification of the bioactive compounds in the extracts, valorizing and guiding the production of enriched cosmetics. The report of the bioactive compounds if proven novel, can be the target of intellectual property protection, bringing value to the RAA embracing the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing.