The transition toward a circular bioeconomy requires more than new technologies. It also depends on understanding the key biological compounds that make sustainable bio-based products possible.
The ONE EARTH project focuses on developing an integrated biorefinery system capable of transforming residues from animal-based food systems into valuable bio-based products. Instead of treating these residues as waste, the project explores how they can serve as raw materials for producing compounds that have applications in multiple sectors.
Among the most important compounds investigated within the project are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), polypeptides, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Each of these molecules plays a specific role within the project’s integrated biorefinery concept and contributes to the development of sustainable value chains.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential nutrients widely used in food supplements, aquaculture feed, and functional products. Polypeptides, derived from proteins, contain amino acids that are important for nutrition and can also serve as functional ingredients in materials, cosmetics, and other applications. Volatile fatty acids act as important intermediate molecules in microbial metabolism and can serve as building blocks for further biotechnological processes.
Within the ONE EARTH project, these compounds are obtained from residues such as fish scales and bones, chicken feathers, and cheese whey. Through biotechnological and chemical processes, these materials are transformed into valuable intermediate and final products.
By recovering key compounds from underutilised biological residues, the project contributes to developing new circular value chains that reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, and support sustainable production systems.
In the articles that follow in this series, we will explore these compounds in more detail and explain how they contribute to innovative bio-based solutions developed within the ONE EARTH project.