CONDRIMARE

Context

Chondroitin sulphate is an essential polysaccharide for the structure and function of tissues such as joints and skin, and is widely used as an active ingredient in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetics sectors. However, its production currently relies on animal sources, raising significant environmental, health and ethical concerns.

In this context, the CONDRIMARE project aims to provide an alternative for the development of sustainable, safe and animal-free solutions to produce functional biopolymers analogous to the polysaccharides found in human tissues. The project builds on AZTI’s identification of a marine bacterium capable of producing the exopolysaccharide EPS517, whose composition and functional properties are comparable to those of chondroitin sulphate.

CONDRIMARE addresses the challenge of turning this scientific finding into a viable biotechnological process by designing and optimising controlled, scalable production systems that ensure the quality, safety and bioactivity of the final product.

Objectives

To develop a sustainable and scalable biotechnological process for producing a biopolymer from a marine bacterium with a composition and functional properties analogous to those of chondroitin sulphate, providing a safe, animal-free alternative for biomedical applications, with particular emphasis on regenerative medicine, advanced cosmetics and functional nutrition.

Specific objectives

• Optimise the bioreactor cultivation of the marine bacterium that produces the EPS517 exopolysaccharide, together with the associated recovery and purification processes.
• Validate the bioactivity and safety of EPS517 through in vitro assays targeting its application in regenerative medicine.
• Assess the industrial and regulatory feasibility of the process and final product in collaboration with the biomedical companies Histocell and Histokine.

Expected impact

CONDRIMARE will advance the development of a sustainable alternative to animal-derived chondroitin sulphate, based on biopolymers obtained from marine bacteria and the development of controlled biotechnological production processes. The project will help reduce dependence on animal sources and minimise the environmental and health risks associated with current production models. It will also help meet the growing demand for vegan and cruelty-free certified ingredients, with potential applications in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetics sectors.

Funding