ALGAEPARC
Superfoods and biofuelsAlgae needs just a few nutrients,
some water, sunlight and carbon
dioxide. But it has the potential to
form the foundations of everything
from superfoods to biofuels. ”It’s
such a simple process that can have
a very high impact on our society,”
says Maria Barbosa (shown left,
with an algae biorector), the director
of AlgaePARC, a 15-year programme
geared toward low-cost, low-energy
micro-algae production.
Depending on the species, and
how it’s grown, algae are capable
of producing proteins, lipids and
starches. More than 15,000 new
chemical compounds have been
discovered in algae in recent years.
Among these are omega-3 fatty
acids: the same ones that fish
consume when they eat algae, and
that we seek at the fish market or,
in the form of fish oil supplements,
the pharmacy. Harvesting algae
for omega-3 provides a possible
solution for an inevitable scarcity.
Barbosa is part of the European
MAGNIFICENT project, investi-
gating micro-algae as a source of
nutritional substitutes for food and
feed. Improving strains of algae for
optimal omega-3 production is one
of the main goals. At AlgaePARC,
the bright green liquid that rushes
through the curving pipes is refined
in a long chain of production, which
begins with strain improvement.
The objective is to create mutant
strains, to be sorted using fluores-
cence-activated cell sorting, that
will enable the most effective and
efficient omega-3 production.
But micro-algae could also be key
to our energy needs. AlgaePARC
wants to tap into algae’s ability
to capture carbon, and convert it
into molecules that could serve
as building blocks for alternative
fuels. “It is a very interesting crop,”
says Barbosa, “with the potential
to supply not only food, but
MARIA BARBOSA , DIRECTOR OF ALGAEPARC also longer-term energy demands.”09-19-FTfoodvalley.indd 147 10/07/2019 11:30