The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) has obtained a patent in the United States for the international production of microalgae biomass from wastewater diluted in seawater, a system with high potential for application in the industrial sector.
The invention is based on the cultivation of microorganisms capable of utilizing the nutrients present in contaminated effluents, which allows for the efficient and sustainable generation of useful biomass, as reported this Wednesday in a statement by the academic institution.
The main advance of the patented method is that it uses wastewater as a culture medium, avoiding the use of external fertilizers and reducing costs, while facilitating the harvesting of microalgae.
Furthermore, the process contributes to water purification, by eliminating pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
The patent originates from the work developed in the European Sabana Project, led by researcher Juan Luis Gómez Pinchetti.
Within the framework of this initiative, the scientific team focused on identifying marine microorganisms - microalgae and cyanobacteria preserved in the collection of the Spanish Algae Bank (BEA) - capable of fulfilling a dual environmental and productive function.
On the one hand, these organisms had to be effective in cleaning urban wastewater mixed with seawater, a process known as biofiltration or bioremediation, which uses living organisms to purify water naturally.
On the other hand, it was sought that the generated biomass could be subsequently used to obtain compounds of interest in sectors such as agriculture - for example, to manufacture biostimulants that promote plant growth - or aquaculture.
After the selection process, the researchers identified four particularly effective species: two microalgae and two cyanobacteria.
The patent was initially filed in the United States due to the existence of a broad business network interested in developments related to microalgae biomass production. Currently, this method is also pending patenting in Europe.
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