Blue biotechnology

The blue value chain

Marine resources are renewable but inherently limited, so it is crucial to use whatever we harvest as efficiently as possible. In Sweden, about 26,000 tons of seafood processing residuals are generated each year. Today, only half of the side stream biomass from fisheries and seafood processing are, at best, used for low-value purposes such as feed.

At RISE, we can help any actor along the value chain: from seafood and (micro)algae producers that desire increased revenue on their side streams; to product and brand owners that want to replace their fossil-based feedstock with a blue sustainable counterpart or are searching for the next generation functional or bioactive materials

In our flagship initiative MAREFINE, we have brought experts from all parts of RISE to valorize; shrimp, algae, and fish, into high value cosmetic, nutraceutical, textile, and medtech products. A key technology is the biorefinery, intended to extract as many of the valuable components from the biomass as possible. Here, RISE offers both small lab scale testing and full pilot and demo scale refinery processes. To ensure that the refinery and valorization process are both economically and environmentally sustainable, we offer continuous life cycle assessment (LCA) and technoeconomic evaluations throughout the development. At the Kristineberg Marine Research and Innovation Centre in Fiskebäckskil, RISE is part of a large testbed that helps companies to develop new innovative blue value chains.

From marine resource to high value product

RISE has expertise and experience to extract and valorize a range of functional and bioactive components from various types of marine biomasses. Key examples include:

• Chitin & Chitosan – polysaccharides obtained from crustacean shells, e.g., shrimp and crab
• Alginate – a polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds (kelp), e.g., Laminaria digitata.
• Ulvan – a bioactive sulfated polysaccharide extracted from green seaweeds (sea lettuce), e.g., Ulva fenestrata
• Fucoidan – a bioactive sulfated complex polysaccharide from brown seaweeds (kelp), e.g., Saccharina latissima.
• Carrageenan – a sulfated polysaccharide from red seaweeds (sea moss), e.g., Chondrus crispus
• Collagen, gelatine and collagen hydrolysate – a fibrous bioactive protein from fish waste (skins, bones, scales) or other animal by-products
• Byssus (“sea silk”) – a proteinaceous fiber produced by mussels
• Diatom frustules – the mesoporous silica shells from diatoms, i.e., microalgae
• Chrysolaminarin – a neutral polysaccharide produced by microalgae to store energy
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids – bioactive lipids, e.g. omega 3, EPA and DHA, produced by macro- and microalgae and found in fish
• Pigments – e.g. fucoxanthin and astaxanthin found in both macro- and microalgae as well as crustacean shells.

We develop our high value prototypes and products from the extracted marine components using a battery of manufacturing methods. With respect to textiles for fashion, wound dressings, nutraceuticals, drug delivery vehicles, and scaffolds for regenerative medicine, our key techniques include: 

• Solution spinning  – RISE has expertise in wet-spinning of biopolymers, from lab, pilot, to demo scale. Our workshop in Mölndal encompasses the entire value chain: from fiber development; via either continuous filaments or staple fibers including; cutting, crimping, carding, and yarn spinning; to knitted textiles.
• Solution blowing – A nonwoven fabrication technique that combines the versatility of electrospinning with the scalability of melt blowing. Can be used to design wound dressing, superabsorbents, filtration, and biomimicking tissue engineering scaffolds.
• Formulations and controlled release – many bioactive ingredients from marine biomass (e.g. antioxidant pigments from algae, fish oils, vitamins, and bioactive peptides) are most useful when encapsulated for protection and/or controlled delivery. In other cases, the marine-derived component can constitute the entire drug delivery vehicle. RISE’s formulation scientists develop emulsification, dispersion, coating, and encapsulation techniques to formulate sensitive substances in creams, gels, and micro- or nanoparticles.
• 3D-Bioprinting – RISE is actively exploring 3D-printing of biomaterials, particularly for medical and life science applications. Our technology is used to combine living cells with biological or synthetic materials to build tissue-like structures. 

We further offer full characterization of the products in terms of mechanical performance, chemical safety, and accredited testing of biological function in vitro and in vivo. Please contact us for more information.