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Group of Environmental Biotechnology

Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Universidade de Santiago de Compostela Campus Vida Cretus
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Group of Environmental Biotechnology

Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

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Integrative process development for biopolymer production through the valorisation of lipidic waste streams (ECOPOLYVER)



Integrative process development for biopolymer production through the valorisation of lipidic waste streams (ECOPOLYVER)

ECOPOLYVER follows up TREASURE (biogroup.usc.es/treasure), which demonstrated the feasibility of producing two different compounds, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and triacylglycerides (TAGs), from an oily waste stream generated by the fish-canning industry. However, the robustness and versatility of the process need to be assessed by testing the feasibility of using other lipidic waste streams.

Besides, the technology needs to be operated and optimised at a larger scale (i.e. pilot scale), as the determination of the structural composition and properties of the different intracellular compounds accumulated requires larger amounts of final products. Thus, testing this technology at a pilot-scale is the only way to identify the up-scaling hotspots which need to be addressed before the full-scale market is reached.

Moreover, it seems essential to identify the dynamics of the microbial populations conforming the MMC in connection with the process configuration and substrate characteristics. Furthermore, a life cycle perspective, including both up and down-stream processes till the end-of-life (EoL) phase, is required from both environmental and economic assessments to guarantee its competitiveness for future industrial application.