Host institution for the project:
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology University of Zagreb
Principal Investigator: Božidar Šantek, PhD, Full Professor Bibliography
Project summary:
The main goal of this project is the development of an innovative biorefinery system of the third phase with the development of sustainable integrated bioprocesses for the production of biofuels [biodiesel (from microbial lipids)] and biochemicals [polyunsaturated fatty acids (from microbial lipids), xylitol, 2,3-butanediol, raw cocktail of lignocellulolitic enzymes, pigments from microalgae and encapsulated polyphenolic preparates] from renewable fast-growing non-food lignocellulosic raw materials such as reed, ryegrass, buckwheat stalks and reed canary grass (individual or combined mixtures of raw materials). These renewable raw materials can be cultivated on poor soils and therefore do not compete with food raw materials. In this research, the biorefinery system will be based on sustainability principles that will be determined using Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). The results of this project could have a positive impact on companies engaged in agriculture (growing NFLRM on poor soils), on the food industry (application of encapsulated polyphenolic preparations), the chemical industry (application of 2,3-butanediol as a platform chemical), the pharmaceutical industry (application polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, pigments from microalgae for the preparation of various pharmaceutical products) and the biofuel industry (the use of microbial lipids to obtain biodiesel, i.e. a raw cocktail of enzymes for the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic raw materials). Furthermore, the organization of the NFLRM cultivation system on poor soils and the collection of the aforementioned raw materials, as well as their use in the production of products of high added value, will create new jobs. Based on the above facts, it is clear that this project proposal could help in the further development of the economy in the Republic of Croatia.