BIOZOOSTAIN

Sustainable utilization of marine bio resources to produce high quality food-first products and develop prediction tools for the best targeting of catching hot-spots

The main objectives of BIOZOOSTAIN is to fully process valuable ingredients, such as astaxanthin, chitin, polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, wax-esters and enzymes from marine zooplankton, which are taken ashore as a side-stream during pelagic fishing.

The aim is to develop new high-quality products for the food supplement, cosmetic and nutra-/pharmaceutical markets in a sustainable and ethical way.

Novel high quality product prototypes for human consumption (foodfirst) from sustainable zooplankton will be developed within the project, based on their physicochemical, sensory, bioactivity and metabolomic/FoodOmic characteristics these prototypes may have on the human body upon consumption.

The feasibility and environmental impact of the production of these prototypes will be assessed by life cycle assessment (LCA) and their market introduction will be prepared.

Prediction tools for identification of catching hot-spots and times for the pelagic species and their by-catch will be developed, as well as spectroscopic prediction tools for processing optimization.

  • Develop valuable ingredients, such as astaxanthin, chitin, polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, wax-esters, and enzymes from sustainably obtained zooplanktonta
  • Develop new high-quality product prototypes for the food supplement, cosmetic and nutra-/pharmaceutical markets
  • Apply a FoodOmics approach to assess the impact of processing and handling of the developed prototype on human metabolome during consumption
  • Assess the technical and economic potential of the developed zooplankton prototypes
  • Apply life cycle assessment (LCA) for process optimization and development of innovative prototypes
  • Use statistical models to map the maximum targeting hot-spots of pelagic fish and zooplankton towards optimal production of omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin
  • Develop novel spectroscopic prediction tools to monitor and manage quality changes and during processing

Principal Investigator

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María Guðjónsdóttir

Professor, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, and Matis ohf, Food and Biotech R&D, Research and Innovation

 

Research Team 

 

Sigrún Jónasdóttir

Senior Researcher, Technical University of Denmark, National Institute for Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua)

 

 

Martin Lindegren

Senior Researcher Technical University of Denmark, National Institute for Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua)

 

 

Stefán Eysteinsson

Matis ohf, Food and Biotech R&D, Research and Innovation

 

 

Sigurjón Arason

Prof. Emeritus, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland and Matis ohf, Food and Biotech R&D, Research and Innovation

 

 

Ólafur Ögmundarson

Adjunct Lecturer, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland

 

 

Ólafur Eysteinn Sigurjónsson

Professor, Landspitali University Hospital Blood Bank and Reykjavik University

 

 

Francesco Capozzi

Professor, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, ALMA MATER STUDIORUM, Università di Bologna

 

 

Jose Manuel Barat Baviera

Professor, Department of Food Technology, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia

 

Funding

The BIOZOOSTAIN project is funded through the ERA-NET BlueBio Cofund Call and the representative local funding agencies:

Partners