AlgiCut

Brown algae of the genus Laminaria are harvested in Brittany from natural populations of L. digitata and L. hyperborea (60,000–70,000 tonnes/year, fresh weight). This bio-resource is used to produce alginates (3,200 tonnes, dry weight) at two production sites also located in Brittany. Alginates are primarily used as texturizing agents, mainly in the food industry. However, new, higher value-added applications are emerging, particularly in cosmetics and agriculture, where new opportunities are arising for depolymerized alginates. In this context, the specific objectives of the ALGICUT project are: 1) to produce alginate lyases at a reduced cost; 2) to manufacture oligo-alginates on an industrial scale using enzymatic depolymerization of alginates. and 3), study the functional and biological properties of these ingredients with a view to applications in cosmetics and in stimulating crops.

Pilot: AberActives

Partners: SBR, Végénov, Tech Nature and Algaia