HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024-RIA-05 – Innovative bio-based food/feed ingredients

RuBisCo makes up to 50% (average) of the protein in plant leaves and its nutritional and functional properties are considered to be superior to most other plant proteins. Indeed, purified RuBisCo is considered to be nutritionally complete, with all the essential amino acids. In addition to this, RuBisCo has other important functional properties such as foaming, gelling, and emulsifying properties. RuBisCo purification, without any other proteins in the final purified product (to avoid allergenic proteins and to also remove tannins, phenolics and other complexes formed in the protein precipitation stage) is a challenging task. Though there are several methods reported and projects completed, none of them have achieved the required RuBisCo purities with industrially-feasible processes.

With Celignis’s experience in fractionation of plant biomass (proteins and polysaccharides), and the subsequent purification steps, Celignis is interested to take on the challenge of RuBisCo purification. We have previously worked on RuBisCo extraction from a crop residue and have developed simple extraction and quantification strategies. For that project, Celignis used a membrane concentration method, instead of a fractionation method. Based on our experience on the isolation, concentration, and quantification of RuBisCo-rich protein, the Celignis team has devised a RuBisCo-purification strategy that involves membranes and low-cost ion-exchange chromatography. We would like to further explore this concept in this CBE-JU project. The extracted and purified RuBisCo would then be tested for digestibility and other functional properties. We expect to also hydrolyse RuBisCo to produce bioactive peptides that ar elikely to provide many nutritional and health benefits.

Background on Celignis:

Celignis is an SME that was spun-out from an EU research project (the FP7 advanced biofuels project DIBANET) that was written and coordinated by Celignis's founder Daniel Hayes.

It has now been over ten years since the end of that project and over that time Celignis has grown in size and reputation and now occupies a valuable niche as being the premier analytical and bioprocess development provider to clients in the biomass sector. We provide a wide range of compositional analysis services and bioprocessing expertise to a diverse array of customers (including SMEs, multinationals, and universities) looking to utilise biomass feedstocks, residues and wastes for the production of biobased products, biofuels, and energy.

In April 2023 Celignis joined the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) as a Full Industry SME Member, meaning that we can contribute to the strategic direction and future calls of the CBE-JU and that Celignis is an eligible partner for all CBE-JU actions. The CBE requires that any Large Industry or SME partner in Innovation Action (end TRL 6/7) or Flagship (end TRL 8) projects is a BIC member.

Celignis is a partner in 1 ongoing CBE project, with a further 3 (successful awardees of CBE-JU funding in the 2023 call) starting between May and Sept 2024. The ongoing project, PERFECOAT is a RIA (Research and Innovation Action) project, whilst the 3 upcoming projects (BIONEER, PROMOFER, and MANUREFINERY) are Innovation Action (TRL 6/7) projects. The extensive developments in processing capacity (up to 1m3) by Celignis Bioprocess over the last few years make us particularly suited to participation in such higher-TRL topics.

Regarding our completed CBE-JU projects, they were funded as part of the Biomass Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI-JU) programme. Click here to read more about our ongoing and completed CBE/BBI projects.

In addition to these CBE projects, Celignis is currently active in a number of other research projects funded by the EU's Horizon programme. Click here to read more about these projects and here to learn more about our completed EU projects.

"Celignis had successful proposals in over 40% of the CBE-JU Innovation Action topics in 2023. Our Full-Industry BIC membership and extensive scaled-up bioprocessing capabilities make us particularly suited to participation in IA proposals"

More details on Celignis at:

https://www.celignis.com/about.php