Screening marine microalgae and terrestrial bacteria; in search of novel compounds of potential medicinal and other industrial values

Publishable summary: 

The Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental ResearchBioforsk, the Fraunhofer Chile Research, SC ROPLANTA SR Romania and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru)UPCH have joined forces to develop a transnational longterm research cooperation platform within the EULatin America Programme under the project proposal umbrella: “Screening microalgae and bacteria; in search of novel compounds of potential medicinal and other industrial values SCREAM”. SCREAM targets a high impact scientific area, biodiscovery and the exploitation of marine microalgae and terrestrial bacteria as renewable sources of natural bioactive and functional components, by using a multidisciplinary approach. This includes, but is not exclusive to, microbiology including microalgae and bacteria technology, state of the art ‘omis (metabolomics/proteomics), stress physiology, product testing and development and economic assessment. Microalgae species will include Antarctic, Arctic and other Nordic species, bacteria species will include terrestrial acidophilic and acid tolerant species.

The novelty of SCREAM derives from a number of original and innovative activities that will undoubtedly lead to a number of innovations within cancer research and functional food with the potential for further exploitation. By selecting microalgae as our main focus, SCREAM takes steps towards the future, targeting functional food products, not only for the healthy ingredients supplied by the microalgae, but also avoiding use of overexploited agricultural fields. Furthermore, the potential for adjuvants from microalgae and/or bacteria in anticancer treatment and affecting tumour cell invasion and metastasis to improve longterm therapeutic success of conventional anticancer agent by decreasing the possibility of chemoresistance is promising.

SCREAM will be looking for:

  • Adjuvants from marine microalgae and terrestrial bacteria in anticancer treatment affecting tumour cell invasion and metastasis,
  • microalgae metabolites as food ingredients