Developing new natural and sustainable products from marine microalgae

Summary

Algae have a green future. Taken by areal protein production these crops are far more productive than every other arable crop. Besides protein, algae also contain oil, essential omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, vitamins and anti-oxidants like astaxanthin and fucoxanthin. They have been the basis of the marine food web for millions of years and species can be found in every imaginable water body.

The department works together with the company Omega Green to develop new algal products and culturing strategies. Therefore the outdoor performance of several species of algae from the algal culture collection of the department of Ocean Ecosystem will be determined using the large scale algal culturing facilities of Omega Green. The focus will be on the effect of nutrient concentration (e.g. C, N, P), irradiance and temperature on growth and product yield. With this information new business opportunities for natural and sustainable products can be developed.

This project is partly funded by Waddenfonds and SNN (Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland).

For more information on this topic please contact Peter Boelen.