The Laboratory of Biotechnology – Algal Biorefinery Group, led by Dr José Cheel, has been participating since 1 May in a major European project, BIG-ALGAE, funded under Horizon Europe – Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU).

The project focuses on increasing the efficiency and sustainability of macroalgae cultivation technologies and practices so that they can be replicated in different locations across Europe, as well as on developing and scaling up biomass valorisation processes and creating new value-added products.The project involves 19 partners from 9 EU countries and Korea, with the Portuguese company A4F acting as coordinator.

The Algal Biorefinery Group at our Algatech Centre is focusing within the BIG-ALGAE project on gentle fractionation methods and the use of high-performance counter-current chromatography (CCC) for the selective isolation and purification of high-value bioactive compounds from macroalgae, such as pigments, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and polyphenols. The group builds on its successful applied research carried out in Horizon 2020 and TA CR projects.

The project BIG-ALGAE has received a quality award because it makes a significant contribution to the objectives of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP). This is a seal of excellence for projects with a high level of innovation that also strengthen the EU’s technological sovereignty. The award enhances the project’s credibility and opens the door to additional European and private sources of funding.