King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s (KAUST) researchers have discovered something new about a very old organism and used it to convert waste from a chocolate factory into C-phycocyanin, a valuable blue pigment projected to reach a global market value of over $275 million by 2030.
According to KAUST, a study published in Trends in Biotechnology reveals how Galdieria yellowstonesis, an ancient strain of red algae, can utilize the sugars in chocolate-processing waste to grow into a protein-rich biomass. This biomass contains C-phycocyanin, a valuable blue pigment widely used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products.
In addition to their findings, the researchers made an unexpected discovery that high levels of carbon dioxide actually promote the growth of Galdieria yellowstonesis.
Typically, carbon dioxide is a byproduct of microbes consuming sugar, but in this case, it appears to enhance the algae’s growth, further optimizing the process of producing C-phycocyanin.
KAUST Associate Professor and lead author of the study, Kyle Lauersen, stated that, “Our work studying the metabolism of algae is uncovering new ways to turn waste into valuable products sustainably. Chocolate production, for example, generates waste when process lines start and stop. We realized this waste could be a useful food for Galdieria.”
The release highlighted that phycocyanin from Galdieria, of which C-phycocyanin is one type, was recently deemed food-safe by the US FDA and is suitable for beverages and other food applications.
However, compared to conventional methods for phycocyanin, which use cyanobacteria, the KAUST method using Galdieria can significantly reduce costs and increase yields because the hot and highly acidic environment in which Galdieria thrives can reduce the presence of other microbes.
For their experiments, Lauersen and his research team collected waste from a chocolate factory in Saudi Arabia.
The researchers plan to further develop their process by assessing the scalability and technical capacity of Galdieria production processes on locally available wastes, helping more businesses in Saudi Arabia make the critical shift towards a circular carbon economy, as per the statement.
