Biotrend strives to keep at the forefront of scientific development through the participation in international collaborative research projects together with high-profile industrial and academic partners across the industrial biotechnology value chain.
On-going projects
The CiNTech project aims to establish and empower the first Technological Pole for Innovation, Translation, and Industrialization dedicated to complex injectable drugs, particularly innovative platforms incorporating various oncology therapeutic agents (small molecules, peptides, nucleic acids). This unique hub encompasses three centers focused on knowledge translation, analytical development, prototyping, and GMP manufacturing. Designed to have a profound impact on Portugal's economy and scientific innovation, it fosters synergistic cooperation between SMEs, non-SMEs, and National Science-Technology System, resulting in a highly differentiated portfolio benefiting patients and boosting high-tech exports. Biotrend takes a leading role in the development and scale-up of microbial fermentation processes for nucleic acid production for complex injectables, enhancing its expertise and adopting state-of-the-art macromolecule purification techniques, ensuring product quality and Industry 4.0 tools implementation.
The project Pacto da Bioeconomia Azul (Blue Bioeconomy Pact) promotes an innovative, sustainable, and decarbonizing paradigm, harnessing the sea to address global terrestrial resource scarcity. Bringing together diverse national industries, the project aims to develop new products, processes, and services by integrating blue bioeconomy goods into existing or new value chains, positively affecting the environment, consumer lives, and national exports. With investments spanning seven sectors and three cross-cutting initiatives, it seeks to boost marine biotech solutions, positioning Portugal as a pioneer in a sector expected to reach €200 billion globally by 2030. Biotrend's role focuses on developing and optimizing fermentation processes for biodegradable biopolyesters from microalgal-derived starch, streamlining sustainability and cost efficiency, and supplying biopolyesters for partner testing and pilot-scale production.
Move2LowC aims to produce biofuel for the air and heavy road transport of goods and passengers sectors. This project will allow the development of a technological rationale, up to TRL 6, and a technological exploration plan that supports the investment in the production of biofuels on a commercial scale. Biotrend will apply its specialist know-how and infrastructure to optimize and scale-up fermentation processes that allow the conversion of lignocellulosic hydrolysates into lipids that can be converted to biofuels, using oleaginous yeasts.
Demonstrate the techno-economic viability and sustainability of biologically produced insect pheromones as safe and environmentally friendly insecticide substitutes. Bio-based process will overcome limitations of current chemically produced of pheromones from petrochemical feedstocks. Biotrend will contribute to bioprocess development, optimisation and scale-up.
Exploring the conversion routes of municipal solid waste (MSW), and marine rest raw-materials (MRRM) from the fish processing industries, to obtain high added value products, i.e. flame retardants, edible/barrier coatings and chemical building blocks (dicarboxylic acids and diamine) to produce polyamides and polyesters for a wide range industrial applications. Biotrend is contributing to the optimisation and scale-up of the production of dicarboxylic acids.
Developing an innovative Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA) platform for the bioconversion of municipal solid bio-waste fraction and sludgy biowaste from other industries into value added fermentation products, such as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer, single cell oil as precursor for oleochemical industry as well as long chain unsaturated health-promoting fatty acids. Biotrend is leading the effort towards an effective VFA to PHA conversion.
Valorisation of agricultural residues coming from mushroom farming residues as a case to set up new cascading possibilities using innovative procedures to extract high value bio-based additives, convert lipids into bioplasticisers and polysaccharides into biopolymers using remaining side streams in substrates to close the agricultural cycle by composting and/or biogas synthesis. Biotrend is leading the development of the conversion technologies for biopolyester production
Scale up and validate two innovative food packaging solutions based on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) with active properties and passive barrier to reduce food waste by prolonging food shelf life. Biotrend provides proprietary technologies for the aqueous-based purification of PHA.
Integrate into a single facility and to use one main technology chain for the conversion of several types of urban bio-wastes into valuable bio-based products, while also minimizing any residual or consequent waste to be disposed of. Biotrend provides proprietary technologies for the aqueous-based purification of PHA.
Innovative ‘laboratory’ (Blue Lab) to pilot new and viable solutions to tackle with one of the most damaging sources of maritime pollution: oil spills. These solutions will be based on the production of native microbial consortia with bioremediation capacity, and the adaptation of unmanned and autonomous vehicles for in-situ release of microorganisms (bioaugmentation) and nutrients (biostimulation). Biotrend is developing a robust process for the production of the microbial consortia and preservation methods to enable their enhanced shelf-life.
Move wastewater treatment from being primarily a sanitation technology towards a bio-product recovery industry and a recycled water supplier. Three added-value plants treating wastewater (municipalities, farms and food and beverage industries) at three demonstration sites will be implemented, assessed and optimised concurrently. Biotrend provides proprietary technologies for the aqueous-based purification of PHA.
Scale-up in real environment eco-innovative and energy-efficient solutions to renovate existing wastewater treatment plants and close the circular value chain by applying low-carbon techniques to recover materials that are otherwise lost. A comprehensive SMART portfolio comprising biopolymers, cellulose, fertilizers and intermediates will be recovered and processed up to the final end-products. Biotrend provides proprietary technologies for the aqueous-based purification of PHA.
