Modelos PReditivOS para a recuPERação de proteínas e a sua aplicação no desenvolvimento de hidrogeis funcionais

The OVERALL OBJECTIVE of this proposal is to contribute to the development of predictive models for the sustainable recovery of proteins, applying ionic precipitation (IO) combined with microfiltration systems (MFS), focusing on the recovery and purification of proteins of interest. This integrated approach will enable the development of a mathematical model for the recovery of protein fractions. The predictive models to be developed in this project are intended to serve as a guideline to easily separate target proteins industrially from application of IO, as an alternative sustainable method. PROSPER project novelty stands out because of its future strategic application in transversal levels upon protein recovery, which will be validated at a laboratory scale during this project and prepared to be validated for scale-up stages. To reach this, the project will focus on five specific objectives: 1. Development of predictive models applying IO to recover target proteins: e.g. globular proteins, enzymes and peptides; 2. Application and optimization of the predictive models using sources of agro-industrial by-products containing the tested proteins; 3. Development of a robust, predictive and final mathematical model for specific protein recovery; 4. Perform a compositional analysis of the obtained protein fractions, and assess their biological properties by comparing the recovered protein fractions with the standard proteins; 5. Application of one protein fraction of market interest into the production of functional hydrogels for IBD patients; 6. Establish a scale-up process of the IO technology and validate the mathematical model at the pilot scale (TRL 5). PROSPER proposal addresses several EU priorities published within the EU General Report in 2023, which are in fact, associated with global challenges. By supporting the PROSPER proposal, the results from it will continue pushing forward the economic recovery from the pandemic, since PROSPER results aim to boost competitiveness and manufacturing capacity of industry in the area of alternative proteins, meeting the EU's ambitious climate targets which are cutting emission by 55% by 2030 (a key milestone on the path to climate neutrality).