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BIOTEK2021-Bioteknologi for verdiskaping

Bioactive peptides in tunicate biomass

Tildelt: kr 3,3 mill.

Fishmeal has traditionally been the major protein source for carnivorous fish. However, it is likely that the world's supply of fishmeal will not be sufficient to meet future demand. Globally there is acute need for new protein sources .This proof of prin ciple proposal intends to support the commercialisation of farming tunicates ascidians as a new biomass for feed by documenting added value to the high quality marine protein source. A successful project will result in documentation of bioactive component s leading to added value for the customers and higher prices for the biomass. In former projects we have demonstrated that farming tunicate ascidians has an enormous growth potential that far exceeds most terrestrial crops. We have also demonstrated tha t tunicates can be successfully farmed in coastal ocean areas with a significant 3-dimensional advantage over other protein, lipid and sugar sources. As of today downstream uses of tunicate biomass remain poorly explored. Since tunicate ascidians are not a major food web component and do not compete with food production, they can be considered an environmentally friendly biomass for animal feed production. As the global aquaculture industry is growing, there is an increasing demand for high quality prot ein feed resources. A significant dilemma is the reduction in fish meal production due to the stagnant catch from traditional fisheries and an increasing demand for seafood. In Norway, 200,000 tons of fishmeal is produced annually and roughly the same amo unt imported. The industry now encounters significant constraints on further growth unless new sources of quality biomass are made available. These factors are leading to all time high market prices for fish meal and oil. To meet these challenges we propo se to use Tunicate ascidians as a new biomass for proteins and lipids.

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BIOTEK2021-Bioteknologi for verdiskaping