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H2020Staff exchange2017–2022

GHaNA · The Genus Haslea, New marine resources for blue biotechnology and Aquaculture

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2017-03-01 → 2022-08-31
EU contribution
€1,602,000
Participants
26
Scheme
MSCA-RISE

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

The Genus Haslea, New marine resources for blue biotechnology and Aquaculture

The H2020 ‘GHaNA’ (The Genus Haslea, New marine resources for blue biotechnology and Aquaculture, 2017-2023) project was a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) - Research and Innovation Staff Exchanges program dedicated to promote international and intersectoral collaboration. The consortium gathered 25 academic and private institutions from 13 different countries. The GHaNA project aimed at exploring the diversity of a peculiar marine microalgal resource, the diatom of the genus Haslea, for blue biotechnology applications in aquaculture, cosmetic, food and health industry. Some Haslea species are unique among microalgae, being able to produce large amounts of water-soluble bluish pigments, as the type species of the genus, Haslea ostrearia that synthesizes marennine, in reference to Marennes Bay (France), a region historically famous for its oyster industry. When released into seawater, marennine turns oysters green. The research on the origin of the color intrigued generations of botanists and chemists and the chemical nature of the pigment has not been elucidated yet. Marennine also displays biological activities such as antiproliferative, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, with a great potential for industrial exploitation. The main innovative outcomes of GHaNA are: - an increased knowledge in the diversity of the genus Haslea (4 blue and 3 non-blue new species) - the sequencing of H. ostrearia genome using Illumina and next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques - the observation of blue Haslea blooms in natural environments in the Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea - the assessment of the photobiology and photoprotection mechanisms in H. ostrearia - progress in the design of photobioreactors to develop automated culture of blue Haslea to ensure the production of marennine-like pigments using ultrafiltration membranes, and collect associated high-value compounds, e.g. terpenoids, lipids, silica skeletons from the residual waste biomass - the description of isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway in H. ostrearia - new insights on the structure of marennine, a polydisperse heteropolysaccharide associated to a still uncharacterized chromophore - the assessment of prophylactic and anti-vibrio effects of marennine and application to bivalve hatchery - first observation of marennine effects in angiogenesis and oncology - preliminary results of marennine as natural pigment for textile industry

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The GHaNA project aims to explore and characterize a new marine bioresource, for blue biotechnology applications in aquaculture, cosmetics and possibly food and health industry. The project will determine the biological and chemical diversity of Haslea diatoms to develop mass-scale production for viable industrial applications by maximising biomass production and associated high-value compound production, including terpenoids, marennine-like pigments, lipids and silica skeletons. The genus Haslea species type H. ostrearia, produces marennine, a water-soluble blue pigment used for greening oysters in Western France, which is also a bioactive molecule. Haslea diatoms have thus a high potential for use in (1) existing oyster farming, (2) production of pigments and bioactive compounds with natural antibacterial properties, (3) application as a colouring agent within industry, and (4) use of silica skeletons as inorganic “biocharges” in the formulation of new elastomeric materials. This will be achieved through fundamental and applied-oriented research to isolate fast- growing strains of Haslea, optimising their growth environment to increase marennine and other high-value compound productivity; to develop blue biotechnology specifically applied to benthic microalgae (biorefinery approach, processes); and to develop industrial exploitation of colouring and bioactive compounds through commercial activities of aquaculture, food, cosmetics and health.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITE DU MANS · Le MansCoordinatorFrance
  • CARDIFF UNIVERSITY · CARDIFFUnited Kingdom
  • FUNDACION CANARIA PARQUE CIENTIFICO TECNOLOGICO DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA · Las PalmasSpain
  • HELLENIC CENTRE FOR MARINE RESEARCH · Attikia AnavissosGreece
  • INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE RECHERCHE POUR L'EXPLOITATION DE LA MER · PlouzaneFrance
  • INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT · ParisFrance
  • INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DE CANARIAS,S.A. · Las Palmas De Gran CanariaSpain
  • KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET · KOBENHAVNDenmark
  • MICROPHYT · BAILLARGUESFrance
  • MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY · MurfreesboroUnited States
  • MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY · SackvilleCanada
  • NANTES UNIVERSITE · NantesFrance
  • PANEPISTIMIO KRITIS · RETHIMNOGreece
  • THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK · Albany NyUnited States
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL · Chapel HillUnited States
  • TRUONG DAI HOC SAI GON · HO CHI MINHVietnam
  • UNIVERSITAS BRAWIJAYA · MalangIndonesia
  • UNIVERSITAS PAJAJARAN · SumedangIndonesia
  • UNIVERSITAS TANJUNGPURA · PontianakIndonesia
  • UNIVERSITE DU QUEBEC A RIMOUSKI · RimouskiCanada
  • UNIVERSITE LAVAL · QuebecCanada
  • UNIVERSITE ORAN 1 · OranAlgeria
  • UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA · HobartAustralia
  • UNIWERSYTET SZCZECINSKI · SZCZECINPoland
  • University of Arkansas · FayettevilleUnited States
  • ZURCHER HOCHSCHULE FUR ANGEWANDTE WISSENSCHAFTEN · WinterthurSwitzerland

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union