News and events

Anna Gvozdjakova Presents PURPLE4LIFE at Comenius University

Dec 18, 2025

The PURPLE4LIFE project was presented at Comenius University in Bratislava on 20 October 2025, where the LFUK team highlighted the project’s objectives and upcoming clinical studies on the health impacts of phototrophic purple bacteria–based ingredients The...

Project Technology Highlight: UAntwerp expertise

Dec 15, 2025

Within the European project Purple4Life, our team at the University of Antwerp studies how purple phototrophic bacteria can support sustainable, circular bioprocesses. These microbes are metabolically versatile, but their real value will depend on knowing exactly...

PURPLE4LIFE Moves Forward in Exploring Purple Bacteria for Human Health

Dec 10, 2025 | Results

Split-screen image showing laboratory work. On the left, Dr. Zuzana Sumbalová is preparing PPB samples for CoQ10 extraction using a pipette at a lab bench. On the right, several test tubes with PPB samples of different colors are placed in a rack, illustrating how different strains produce different pigments.

PURPLE4LIFE advances research on purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB) as a source of health-promoting ingredients such as CoQ10 and carotenoids. WP3 teams are validating extraction methods and preparing clinical studies to assess bioavailability and health benefits of PPB-based foods..

The PURPLE4LIFE project, a Horizon Europe initiative, is making significant progress in its mission to explore the health-promoting potential of phototrophic purple bacteria (PPB). These microorganisms are rich in bioactive compounds, including Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and carotenoids, which play key roles in maintaining cellular health, reducing oxidative stress, and supporting immune function.
Led by the Universidad Pablo De Olavide – UPO (Spain) with the essential contribution of theUniversité catholique de Louvain – UCLouvain (Belgium), and Comenius University Bratislava (LFUK, UNIBA, Slovakia), Work Package 3 (WP3) – Human Health Effects – is advancing through a series of structured research phases. The work focuses on understanding how PPB-based foods can improve health markers in humans.

Recent milestones

Development of extraction methods: Based on a literature review of extraction methods for coenzyme Q10 from PPB biomass prepared by Prof. G. López Lluch (Spain) and on the first results of coenzyme Q10 extraction from PPB biomass by Daniel Jose Moreno Fernandez-Ayala (UPO) and Salim Kichouh Aiadi (UMONS), and researchers at UNIBA developed their own methodological procedures for the extraction of CoQ10 from PPB biomass provided by partners in Belgium and other members of the consortium, with preliminary results confirming a significant presence of CoQ10 in all samples.
Upcoming clinical studies: Starting in 2026, short-term bioavailability trials will be conducted among young healthy participants in Slovakia. This will be followed by multicentric long-term studies in older adults across Belgium, Spain, and Slovakia to monitor metabolic, oxidative stress, and bioenergetic parameters of mitochondrial health. Through these efforts, PURPLE4LIFE aims to deliver scientifically validated, safe, and health-promoting PPB-based food supplement, marking a significant step toward healthy and sustainable nutrition solutions.