Commercialisation opportunities
A research team from the universities of Granada, Jaén and Almería has developed a process to obtain a natural colorant from the microalga Porphyridium cruentum that they say is ready to be applied at an industrial scale.
P. cruentum contains a chromophore, ficoerithin, that gives the bacterium reddish colour. The scientists say their process operates at 66 per cent efficiency, which they claim is twice the yield of existing chromatographic separation methods. Using the technique they have separated and purified sufficient volumes amounts of ficoerithin to make it suitable for industrial applications.
According to the researchers ficoerithrin “looks like strawberry milkshakes” and could be used to replace existing chemical colorants.
The scientists are now studying the precise molecular structure of ficoerithin and characterising changes that may occur when it is processed in foodstuffs or cosmetics.
They are about to begin a collaboration with a spin off from Almeria
University, Almería Bioalgal Marine, S.L., set up to commercialise new
uses of microalgae in aquaculture and functional foods. Bioalgal Marine
is supported by Spain's Department for Innovation, Science and Company
through Program Campus.
Contact
Bioalgal Marine SL
C/Gregorio Marañón, 37 Entresuelo
Almeria
Spain
Tel: +34 950 22 06 12
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