Marine-derived bioproducts

Problem addressed

The sector needs to diversify its sources of ingredients and functional compounds with more sustainable alternatives. At the same time, it is essential to add value to marine resources and by-products that would otherwise be wasted, contributing to the circular economy and the blue bioeconomy.

What we do and how we do it

At AZTI, we work on the bioprospecting and valorization of marine microbial biodiversity through:

• Bioprospecting of marine microorganisms, including the isolation of bacteria and fungi from ocean environments and their preservation in strain collections.
• Omics analyses (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metagenomics) to identify genes and metabolic functions of interest.
• Characterization of marine enzymes, particularly those capable of transforming polysaccharides and compounds specific to marine ecosystems.
• Production of bioactive compounds and ingredients from marine microorganisms cultured under controlled conditions.
• Valorization of food industry by-products as substrates for the development of new bioproducts.

Key benefits

• Development of innovative marine-based ingredients.
• Contribution to the circular economy through the use of by-products as resources.
• Reduced dependence on traditional raw materials.
• Generation of scientific knowledge and its transfer to the sector within the blue bioeconomy.