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...
UMONS is developing a scalable bag culture system to grow purple bacteria, converting agri-food by-products into protein, CoQ10, and carotenoid-rich biomass. This bridges lab-scale to pilot-scale production, supplying partners for aquaculture feed trials and human...
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 biofactories for high-value compounds. However, their real impact depends on understanding which processing conditions preserve and enhance the formation of valuable antioxidants.
To obtain ready-to-use biomass, we are systematically comparing different downstream processing strategies, with a particular focus on preserving antioxidant functionality. Specifically, we are comparing freeze-drying, oven-drying and spray-drying. By adjusting key process parameters, we aim to identify the optimal balance between product quality and process efficiency.
Downstream processing can significantly affect the functional properties of microbial biomass. We are therefore assessing carotenoids content, coenzyme Q10 content, antioxidant capacity, both before and after the downstream process.
At this stage, our goal is to identify a technique that preserves bioactive compounds and maintains antioxidant performance while being economically viable, scalable and sustainable.
The next step will be to evaluate product stability over time by studying shelf life under both inert atmosphere and normal air conditions.
This will provide a more complete understanding of the long-term functionality and robustness of the processed biomass.