10182032Developing a Resource-Efficient Downstream Process for Microbial Astaxanthin ProductionClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKKinva Bio is developing a sustainable manufacturing process to transform astaxanthin-rich bacterial cultures into consumer-ready natural products more efficiently and with a lower environmental footprint. Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring antioxidant with applications in human nutrition, cosmetics, and aquaculture feed. Our current processing methods are time-consuming, energy-intensive, and unsuited to large-scale sustainable production. This project will test whether spray-drying - a common process in the food and pharmaceutical sectors - can be adapted for efficient and environmentally responsible astaxanthin production. Spray-drying rapidly removes water by dispersing liquid into a hot air stream, converting it into a stable dry powder. The approach offers major sustainability advantages when operated under renewable energy and with solvent recovery. Working in partnership with Codis Ltd, a local company that operates spray-drying facilities with onsite solar farms in Haverhill, Kinva Bio will perform experimental trials to identify optimal drying conditions. These trials will use both whole bacterial cultures and solvent-extracted astaxanthin to compare product quality and stability. Codis' facilities allow for solvent recycling and reduced grid reliance, lowering both emissions and operating costs. Kinva Bio will analyse the resulting materials to confirm astaxanthin stability and purity. Establishing suitable process parameters will make it possible to scale up production sustainably while preserving product quality. The project will generate practical data and process designs that will inform future large-scale production and help position the UK as a leader in sustainable bio-manufacturing of natural carotenoids. The knowledge gained will be relevant across biomanufacturing sectors that face similar downstream processing challenges. This work aligns with the UK's goal of achieving net zero and resource-efficient manufacturing, improving the competitiveness and environmental performance of the domestic bioeconomy while reducing reliance on imported, petrochemical-derived antioxidants.