On 19–20 March 2026, the University of Mons (UMONS) hosted a successful two-day international workshop titled “Boosting the use of Purple Phototrophic Bacteria (PPB) as innovative food and feed ingredients: From metabolism to health-promoting effects.” The University...
Within the European project Purple4Life, our team at the University of Antwerp is exploring how purple phototrophic bacteria can contribute to more sustainable and circular bioprocesses. These metabolically versatile microorganisms have strong potential as...
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.
In collaboration with NOFIMA, Fraunhofer IMTE is developing and applying controlled feeding trial methodologies to evaluate PPB as a functional feed ingredient for rainbow trout (Fraunhofer) and Atlantic salmon (Nofima). This includes the formulation of experimental diets containing defined inclusion levels of PPB, followed by in vivo assessment of growth performance, health status, antioxidant capacity, and tissue deposition of carotenoids and coenzyme Q10. A particular focus lies on bioavailability and deposition efficiency, including effects on muscle pigmentation and oxidative status, which are critical quality parameters in salmonid production.
Feed additives such as carotenoids and antioxidants are among the most expensive and sustainability-critical components in aquaculture feeds. By providing robust experimental evidence on the nutritional value, safety, and functional performance of PPB, Fraunhofer IMTE demonstrates how circularly produced microbial biomass can partially replace synthetic or resource-intensive feed ingredients. This directly supports Purple4Life’s ambition to reduce environmental impact while maintaining fish performance and product quality for human nutrition, thereby strengthening the economic and ecological viability of PPB-based value chains.
For us, the key challenge is bridging innovative microbial biomass production with the strict performance and quality requirements of aquaculture practice. Purple4Life allows us to rigorously test whether PPB can meet these expectations under realistic feeding conditions.
Upcoming work will focus on dose–response evaluation and tissue-specific deposition analyses in forthcoming feeding trials, as well as the integration of feeding trial data into the life cycle and circularity assessments of other project partners. These steps are essential for defining safe and effective inclusion levels and for supporting the future industrial uptake of PPB-based feed ingredients in sustainable aquaculture systems.