News

News and events

Project information
Multi-level metal shelving system in a laboratory holding several transparent plastic bioreactor bags filled with red-orange liquid culture. Tubing and monitoring equipment are connected to the bags, which are illuminated by overhead lights in a controlled indoor research environment.

Project Technology Highlight: Scaling Up Purple Bacteria Production at UMONS

Building on our previous update about the bag culture system being developed at the Université de Mons (UMONS), we are happy to share that significant progress has been made over the last months. The ProtMic team has successfully advanced the cultivation of purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) from laboratory bottles toward a robust intermediate production stage, marking an important step on the road to pilot-scale operation.

Read More

|Jun 16, 2026|0

Project information
Laboratory analysis of salmonid fillets using a handheld device to measure quality parameters such as color and composition.

Project Technology Highlight: Fraunhofer IMTE’s Expertise in Evaluating PPB as a Functional Feed Ingredient for Salmonids

Within the Purple4Life project, Fraunhofer IMTE plays a role in the feed application of purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) by contributing its expertise in fish nutrition and health. A key part of their work involves evaluating how innovative functional ingredients — particularly PPB — affect fish growth performance, health status, welfare, and overall product quality. This includes assessing both physiological responses and potential benefits for sustainability and feed efficiency. This research phase is essential for establishing the scientific basis needed to safely implement PPB as a sustainable alternative to traditional antioxidants in aquaculture nutrition.

Read More

|Apr 17, 2026|0

Project information
doctor hand taking a blood sample tube from a rack with machines of analysis in the lab background Technician holding blood tube test in the research laboratory

Project Technology Highlight: URJC’s expertise

Within Purple4Life, the team at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) develops bioelectrochemical technologies to convert CO₂ contained in biogas into high-value microbial biomass. Our approach integrates bioelectrochemical system (BES) with purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) to simultaneously upgrade biomethane and generate antioxidant-rich biomass containing carotenoids and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Read More

|Mar 3, 2026|0

Project information
Gloved hands using a color fan scale to assess the flesh color of a salmon fillet on a white surface.

Project Technology Highlight: Nofima’s expertise

Within the Purple4Life project, Nofima contributes its expertise in fish feed formulation and production, fish nutrition and the evaluation of how functional ingredients such as purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) influence fish performance, health, welfare and product quality. This research step is crucial for enabling safe implementation of PPB as a sustainable alternative to conventional antioxidants in aquaculture diets

Read More

|Feb 2, 2026|0

Project information
Test tube with green liquid and microbe-like particles placed inside a glass beaker in a laboratory setting, with blurred green biotechnological equipment in the background, representing microbial cultivation and sustainable biotechnology research.

Project Technology Highlight: Imperial College London expertise

Within Purple4Life, our team at Imperial College London is working to understand how new PPB-based food and feed value chains perform when they move from lab-scale to real-world production. To support this transition, we are developing environmental, circularity, and social assessments that quantify the true impacts and benefits of PPB across its entire lifecycle.

Read More

|Jan 23, 2026|0

Project information
Researcher wearing blue gloves examines an aquaculture fish with a magnifying glass on a laboratory tray, surrounded by scientific tools and sample flasks in a quality control and analysis setting.

Project Technology Highlight: Fraunhofer IMTE expertise

Within Purple4Life, Fraunhofer IMTE contributes its long-standing expertise in applied aquaculture nutrition, feed evaluation, and functional ingredient validation. The institute plays a key role in translating purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) from a promising bio-based innovation into a validated, safe, and effective functional feed ingredient for salmonid aquaculture, supporting the project’s objective to establish PPB as a sustainable alternative to conventional feed additives.

Read More

|Jan 14, 2026|0

Purple4Life Opportunities

OpportunityCallPartner DeadlineStateContact
Technician position related to PURPLE4LIFESpanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and UniversitiesUPO23-Jun-26Open positionglopllu@upo.es
Predoctoral position related to PURPLE4LIFESpanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and UniversitiesUPO14-Feb-26Closed (for reference)glopllu@upo.es

Purple4Life

Horizon Europe Project

Grant Agreement No. 101212806
Project duration: June 2025 – May 2029

Funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

Coordinator

Université de Mons (UMONS), Belgium

Contact: info@purple4life.eu

Contact Us

Cookie Policy (EU)

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Imprint