BioReMediA

Bio-medical production requires intensive use of systems based on nutrient mixtures with which culture media are generated. The associated production of effluents consisting of exhausted cell culture media (ECCM often rich of antibiotics) is enormous. The disposal of these effluents requires decontamination procedures, which are generally carried out using chemical agents (e.g. sodium hypochlorite). Currently, no strategies are available to reduce or recycle these effluents or their contents to reduce their environmental impact. Moreover, chemical decontamination is an environmental problem in itself.

BioReMediA proposes a strategy to convert the direct utilisation-disposal pathway of cell culture media into an unprecedented circular approach, which allows these biological effluents to be managed by offering them a ‘second life’ as supplements to enhance microalgae growth. Through the developed methodology, based on reformulation of exhausted effluents, multiple strains of microalgae grow more efficiently and rapidly. This increased algal biomass can be exploited in numerous applications, such as the bioremediation of other toxic effluents, the production of biofuels or biofertilisers, as well as for the production of various high value-added molecules. This introduces a process based on the circular economy within the bio-medical supply chain without affecting the primary outcome of cell culture-based procedures, but turning the disposal of cell culture effluents into a high value-added recycling opportunity.
 

BioReMediA aims to:

• reduce the impact of liquid waste from the bio-medical research/industry;
• activate a circular economy system in the same supply chains;
• improve yields in microalgae cultivation for bioremediation applications through the use of ECCM-derived products;
• generate high value-added products from microalgae with a cost-effective approach

ECCMs have been selected that guarantee better microalgae productivity. From the most promising formulations, the microalgae biomass is being scaled up and accumulated for biochemical characterisation (lipid, sugar, protein content). In addition, new formulations of ECCMs that guarantee better microalgal growth are being analysed.

Target
The technology proposed by BioReMediA can be exploited by a wide range of users as it allows:

• di recuperare effluenti dall’industria bio-medica e farmaceutica e di avere delle procedure green di biorisanamento; possibili end-users possono essere facilmente individuati nelle realtà imprenditoriali incentrate su processi di biorisanamento e trattamento green di wastewaters i quali siano anche interessati ad introdurre un’opportunità di “seconda vita” per gli effluenti dell’industria bio-medica e farmaceutica.
• di coltivare e utilizzare microalghe in modo efficiente per molteplici scopi; ad esempio, le filiere di produzione (dai prodotti chimici ai fertilizzanti e biocarburanti) potrebbero beneficiare dell’incremento di resa in coltura delle microalghe dovuto ai supplementi di nostra invenzione.
   

Fallout and impact
The technology proposed in BioReMediA introduces circular economy within the biomedical research supply chains without affecting the primary outcome of cell culture-based procedures, but by transforming the disposal of cell culture effluents into a recycling opportunity with high added value. 
The simple and innovative approach offered by BioReMediA allows not only to efficiently recycle ECCMs, but to utilise these wastes in different formulations that can increase the productivity of microalgal biomass compared to their standard productivity.

The exploitation of BioReMediA will allow:
 

• The reduction of the impact of liquid waste from the bio-medical research/industry;
• The activation of a circular economy system in the same supply chains;
• The improvement of yields in microalgae cultivation for bioremediation applications through the use of ECCM-derived products;
• The generation of high value-added products from microalgae with a cost-effective approach.

Possible outcomes from exploiting the technologies offered by BioReMediA are:

• a series of products based on ECCM waste that enable the cultivation of microalgae with higher yields than those currently obtainable under standard conditions.
• a series of innovative microalgae growth methods for the improvement of existing environmental bioremediation procedures. This results in improved green management of industrial liquid effluents and wastewater: the use of microalgae in urban and industrial bioremediation processes requires large amounts of biomass, which could benefit from the supplements of our invention.
• a set of reproducible protocols for the sustainable and cost-effective production of chemicals based on the use of microalgae: production chains (from chemicals to fertilisers and biofuels) could benefit from the increased crop yield of microalgae due to our formulations.