Microalgae production for more sustainable and nutritious diets
Updates from the Novel Protein for Food and Feed Flagship Project include the research team from ETH Zurich recently contributed to the Spirulina Industry Development International Conference.
One of the innovation areas of the Novel Proteins for Food and Feed Flagship Project focuses on identifying, designing and validating processes to enable microalgae derived proteins for food applications. The research team from ETH Zurich recently contributed to the Spirulina Industry Development International Conference.
The ETH Zurich Sustainable Food Processing Group recently contributed to the Spirulina Industry Development International Conference, held in Etuoke, Ordos, China in November 2024. Etuoke is the major Spirulina producer in the world, with production estimated at to produce 6000 tons of dry biomass per year over 900 hectares. More than 100 microalgae scientists or producers from 10 countries attended the conference.
Dr. Fengzheng Gao, Established Researcher and Team Leader of the Microalgae in Human Nutrition and Health R&D (joint research between Sustainable Food Processing Group led by Prof. Dr. Alexander Mathys and Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics led by Prof. Dr. Ferdinand von Meyenn), was the organizer and the Conference Chair. During the conference, he was selected as the Etuoke Spirulina Industry International Chief Advisor by the Etuoke government.
Dr. Iris Haberkorn, Senior Scientist and Project Lead of the “Urban Microalgae Protein” Project at the Singapore-ETH Centre delivered a keynote presentation about ‘Sustainable Food Processing – Single-cell-based foods for more sustainable and nutritious diets’ during the conference. Dr. Fabian Abiusi, Established Researcher and Team Leader of the Microalgae Biotechnology R&D, gave an oral presentation about ‘Is Galdieria the new Spirulina?’ In addition, doctoral student Agon Besimi, who is working on microalgae for micronutrient deficiency treatment, also joined the conference.
The ETH Zurich team had a fruitful exchange with microalgae experts from all over the world.
