Name:
GreenCoLab

Developed by:
PORTUGAL
CCMAR – Centro de Ciências do Mar
LNEG – Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia
University of Algarve
Allmicroalgae – Natural Products, S.A.
Necton – Companhia Portuguesa de Culturas Marinhas S.A.
Algaplus – Produção e Comercialização de Algas e seus Derivados, Lda
SPAROS, Lda

Country(ies) involved:
Portugal

Funding sources:
government budget funds (coLAB base funding)

General idea:
GreenCoLab is a non-profit private organization, a collaborative platform between research and industry, whose research & innovation agenda is based on the exploration of micro- and macroalgae as an essential component for the food, feed, nutraceutical, bioenergy, wastewater and cosmetic industries.

Description:
GreenCoLab is a platform that congregates academia and industry, that was granted the title of «Collaborative Laboratory» by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation. It is therefore formally recognized as an R&D institution and is part of the national science and technology system, in accordance with the Portuguese Science Law. GreenCoLab is composed of one research centre (CCMAR), one state laboratory (LNEG), one university (UA) and four companies, namely Allmicroalgae, Necton, Algaplus and Sparos, with the common goal of advancing the RDI on algae biotechnology.
GreenCoLab will be a catalyst for sustainability and good economic performance by congregating the agendas of both research and industry stakeholders and boosting innovation and economic diversification in the broad field of algal biotechnology.
The Collaborative Laboratory offers services such as:
Research Contract-Tailor made experimental trials from lab to industrial scale using algae.
-Strain improvement for target phenotypes
-Tailor made biomass
-Domestication of novel algal strains
-Growth optimisation
Analytical Services – Biochemical analysis and characterisation of algal biomass by researchers with extensive know how in algal feedstocks.
– Proximal composition
– Profiling of algal metabolites
– Assessment of algae biological activities
Molecular Biology Services – Services on the molecular characterisation of algal biomass, contaminants, and associated microbiome.
– DNA and RNA extraction
– Strain identification (16 and 18S rDNA sequencing)
– Characterisation of algal contaminants
– Characterisation of algal microbiome
– Genetic characterization
– NGS services
Data Analysis – Analysis and modelling of data obtained from experimental trials using different statistical tools.
– Statistical analysis
– Data modelling
– Life Cycle Analysis
– Bioinformatic services
Student Training – Training of students and researchers in different fields of algal biology and biotechnology.
– Short training programs
– Academic activities
– Supervision of students
Consulting – Consulting and advising services in algal biotechnology.
– Business model development for algal biotechnological applications
– General advice on the algal bioprocess – algal species, cultivation set-ups, harvesting, cell disruption, culture contamination
– Location viability analyses for the use of algae production facilities

Sources:
literature review