Towards nature-based production and valorization of cyanobacteria for the development of sustainable pigments and biomaterials

Abstract

Cyanobacteria, also named blue-green algae, are one of the main oxygen producers in the oceans. This is developed through photosynthesis, a process in which solar power and carbon dioxide are captured to ensure the survival and proliferation of these microorganisms. Parallelly, cyanobacteria are outstanding candidates for transitioning towards cyclic recovery processes, as they can; i) easily propagate in waste effluents containing pollutants that they can remove, and ii) accumulate bioproducts, including blue pigments which are very scarce. Altogether, they suppose a sustainable subject for the manufacturing of biomaterials. This personal project called MATERCyan, aims to explore the potential of cyanobacteria to produce biodegradable materials and bio-based pigments, targeting to investigate the potential use of local waste sources for their formulation. Moreover, it focuses on assessing the durability of these pigments over time, by “immortalizing” them in natural matrixes. Finally, it pretends to encourage community building, as well as to fill the gap between scientists and local artists through the diffusion of simple and sustainable recipes.