Algae

The blue-green algae known as spirulina could be the backbone of a new primary industries sector if a two-year project assessing the viability of large-scale production is successful, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says. Along with producer NZ Algae Innovations, it will invest more than half a million dollars through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund to assess the opportunity. MPI’s contribution would be $260,000, while the industry would contribute $390,000.

Frustrated at the range of dairy alternatives currently on-shelf, a French start-up has developed a plant-based milk made from faba protein and algae. “Its advantages in comparison to conventional dairy are almost outrageous,” Update Foods CEO Clémence Landeau tells FoodNavigator.

A brand-new aquaculture facility has been opened in the New Zealand port of Tauranga as part of a $13 million algal biotechnology research project. Funded by the Tertiary Education Commission’s Entrepreneurial Universities programme and the University of Waikato, the 1,000m2 facility is the first in New Zealand to provide state-of-the art infrastructure for seaweed cultivation – from nursery stages to grow-out – and aims to deliver closed life-cycle aquaculture production of seaweed.

A new study led by scientists at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) in San Diego, California, showed that omega-3-rich algae oil can successfully replace fish oil in the diet of farm-raised juvenile California yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis) without compromising growth or survival. The results also revealed that algae oil can produce fish with levels of two important omega-3 fatty acids—DHA and EPA—roughly three times higher than in fish fed fish oil.

The state of Queensland in the north east of Australia is renowned for its iconic beaches, dedicated surfers, and stunning ecosystems such as the Great Barrier Reef. But Noosaville, one-hour drive north from the city of Brisbane, houses the facilities of Provectus Algae, a synthetic biology company that plans to revolutionize bioproduction by using photosynthetic microbes. The company announced today a $3.25M seed to accelerate the commercialization of their algae synthetic biology platform.