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Ongoıng projects
Ongoıng projects
HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-07-01. Strengthening the Capacity of Excellence Hubs of Türkiye, Greece, and Ukraine to Support InnovationEcosystem of Novel Foods Based on Plant Proteins Excel4Pro. (Duration: 2024-2028).
Three key global drivers underpin the increased interest in plant protein-based diets: population-growth, important role of proteins in a healthy diet, and the environmental impact of animal-based food chains. While an increasing trend in proportion of plant sources included in diet is obvious, the current generation of commercial plant-based alternatives is suboptimal. Therefore, more research is needed to develop mild processing techniques for plant proteins and to obtain a comprehensive understanding on the impact of plant proteins on technological and nutritional functionality.
Addressing current challenges and shortcomings, Excel4Pro aims to support, with underpinning research and knowledge exchange, the capacity of the national Excellence Hubs of Türkiye, Greece, and Ukraine as a regional launch pad for plant-protein-based novel food economies. Excel4Pro will be used as a critical tool to connect and scale up the strategically selected plant-based protein ecosystems in a single, interconnected and cross-border Excellence Hub dedicated to growing and changing the agri-food sector in Türkiye, Greece and Ukraine by developing novel food products based on plant-based proteins.
Joint R&I strategies to connect and scale-up plant-based protein ecosystems in a single, interconnected and cross-border Excellence Hub.
Council of Higher Education, The Research Universities Support Program 2023-A-113-02. Screening the industrial suitability of different biomass for the production of protein concentrate, development of the selected biomass for commercial production and the use of protein concentrate to be obtained in some model foods. (Duration: 2023-2025).
The aim of this project is to develop protein concentrates as alternatives to animal proteins for industrial use by utilizing certain plant-based sources cultivated under local conditions, some food industry by-products , and microalgae produced in our country. In line with these objectives, Sigma Process Technologies support the project both financially and in the process development stage. In the final stage of the project, applications of the end product developed within the project will be carried out in model foods at the facilities of a local company, with support from MAYSA Gida. The proposed project aims to contribute concretely to our national economy by transforming raw materials, which constitute a significant bioeconomic resource for our country, into high value-added products such as protein, and by reducing dependence on similar imported products.
Overview of the project.
Kocaeli University, Scientific Research Projects. Investigation of the utilisation potential of poppy capsule meal extract for the cultivation of heterotrophic microalgae Schizochytrium sp. rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). KOU-GTU colloboration. (Duration: 2024-2025).
This project aims to repurpose poppy capsule bagasse—of which Turkey produces over 100,000 tonnes annually—by converting it into microalgal biomass rich in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a high-value compound, using biotechnological methods. In this study, poppy waste will undergo mechanical and chemical processing to serve as a nutrient source for Schizochytrium limacinum, a heterotrophic microalga. This approach will not only support waste management by reducing environmental impact but also provide economic benefits. The project will run for 12 months in collaboration with Kocaeli University and Gebze Technical University.
Poppy capsule (on the left); S. limacinum (on the right).
completed projects
completed projects
TUBITAK 1001 Project 218M389.Development of Functional Spirulina Product Enriched with Bioactive Peptides by Fermentation Method. (Duration: 2019-2023).
In this project, we successfully demonstrated the fermentability of Spirulina as a protein source by various microorganisms. We optimized a scalable, bioreactor-level production process to produce bioactive peptide-enriched, fermented Spirulina. Through fermentation, we significantly enhanced the sensory characteristics of Spirulina, improving its acceptance among consumers who might otherwise find its natural flavor less appealing. This was achieved by fermenting Spirulina with diverse microorganisms and their combinations, showcasing notable improvements in sensory qualities.
This project was pioneering as the first to optimize fermented Spirulina (FS) production at the bioreactor scale. Detailed analyses were conducted on the products, including peptide distribution (SDS-PAGE), free amino acid profiles, and volatile components. We assessed and compared the bioactivity of FS and unfermented Spirulina (unFS) products across critical activities: ACE inhibitory, anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
To further evaluate bioavailability, in vitro digestion studies were carried out on the final final fermented Spirulina product and unFS counterpart. Samples obtained from gastric and subsequent small intestinal digestion were analyzed for bioaccessibility based on key bioactive properties. Our finding showed that FS conserved its bioactive properties better than unFS. The findings underscore the potential of fermented Spirulina as a valuable ingredient for functional food and nutraceutical applications, marking an important advancement in natural bioactive peptide production.
Bioreactor set-up for the fermentations.
Thesis Related to FermAlgae Project:
•Development of Spirulina -based Functional Product Through Fermentation with Various Yeast Species, Büşra Şahin, MSc Thesis, 2021.
•Development of Fermented Spirulina Products by Different Strains of Lactobacillus and Bacillus Group of Microorganisms, Habibe Kurt, MSc Thesis, 2022.
•Elucidation of the Effects of Fermented Spirulina Protein Hydrolysate and Bioactive peptide Fractions on Anti-inflammatory, Anticancer, and Indirect Antioxidant Mechanisms for Therapeutic and Nutraceutical Applications, Zeynep Özlem Çınar, MSc Thesis, 2023.
•Optimization of Batch Bioreactor Conditions for Production of Fermented Spirulina by Mixed Culture of Lactobacillus helveticus and Kluyveromyces marxianus and Effect of Bioreactor Conditions on Some Bioactive Properties, Cansu Yay, MSc Thesis, 2023.
•Sahin, B., Hosoglu, M. I., Guneser, O., & Karagul-Yuceer, Y. (2022). Fermented Spirulina products with Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts: Special reference to their microbial, physico-chemical and sensory characterizations. Food Bioscience, 47, 101691.
•Kurt, H., Hosoglu, M. I., Guneser, O., & Karagul-Yuceer, Y. (2023). Influence of different bacteria species in chemical composition and sensory properties of fermented Spirulina. Food Chemistry, 400, 133994.
•Optimizations related to the use of Lactobacillus helveticus, Kluyveromyces marxianus individually, and in combination for production of Spirulina-based fermented algae products (Algal Research, under revision)
•Yay, C., Cinar, Z. O., Donmez, S., Tumer, T. B., Guneser, O., & Hosoglu, M. I. (2024). Optimizing bioreactor conditions for Spirulina fermentation by Lactobacillus helveticus and Kluyveromyces marxianus: Impact on chemical & bioactive properties. Bioresource Technology, 403, 130832.
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