A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
The future of everyday products is green, or blue in this case. Raising awareness on the importance of biobased, novel compounds in the search for sustainability and circularity. At SECRETed, we promote sustainability and circularity because that’s what our project is about: promoting the usage of bio-based compounds with the objective of transforming the production of diverse, day-to-day products, that are currently petroleum-based. By developing biosurfactants and siderophores, and exploring its possible applications, SECRETed will contribute to a cleaner industry, and this will result in both environmental and community benefits. Here are some of them:
Environmental benefits
Development of biosurfactants
The SECRETed project seeks to create bio-based surfactants from marine and extremophilic microorganisms. These surfactants can effectively replace petroleum-based surfactants, which are typically associated with significant environmental pollution due to their non-biodegradable nature and the release of harmful by-products. By leveraging natural biosurfactants, the project aims to give way to diverse applications, such as, cleaning agents, pharmaceuticals compounds, and agrochemicals that are safer for the environment. This shift not only reduces the chemical load on ecosystems but also decreases the carbon footprint associated with surfactant production and disposal. Additionally, these biosurfactants will be produced using renewable resources, further aligning with global sustainability goals. Their biodegradability ensures that they break down more easily in natural environments, preventing long-term contamination of water bodies and soil. This advancement can lead to widespread adoption in various industries, promoting greener production processes and reducing overall environmental impact.
Sustainable siderophore production
Siderophores produced by the SECRETed project are organic compounds that bind and transport iron ions, which are essential for plant growth and soil health. These siderophores can be used in agriculture to enhance nutrient uptake by plants, reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers that often lead to soil and water pollution. By promoting the natural mobilisation of nutrients, siderophores contribute to more sustainable farming practices and healthier crop yields. Moreover, siderophores play a crucial role in bioremediation by facilitating the removal of heavy metals from contaminated soils. This natural detoxification process helps restore polluted environments, making them safe for agriculture and reducing health risks to humans and wildlife. The use of siderophores represents a promising approach to addressing soil degradation and enhancing the resilience of ecosystems to environmental stressors.
Promotion of a circular economy
The SECRETed project promotes circular economy principles by utilising waste and by-products from other industries as raw materials to produce biosurfactants and siderophores. This innovative approach reduces waste generation and maximises resource efficiency, creating a closed-loop system where materials are continuously reused and recycled. By transforming industrial by-products into valuable inputs for biotechnological processes, the project contributes to reducing the environmental footprint of multiple sectors. In addition to minimising waste, this strategy helps decrease the reliance on non-renewable resources, fostering more sustainable industrial practices. The adoption of circular economy models not only benefits the environment but also enhances economic resilience by creating new value streams and reducing dependency on finite natural resources.
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
The biotechnological processes developed by the SECRETed project are designed to be more energy-efficient compared to traditional chemical synthesis methods. By using microorganisms to produce biosurfactants and siderophores, the project reduces the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with these products’ manufacture. This reduction is crucial in the fight against climate change, as industrial processes are significant contributors to global carbon emissions. Moreover, the shift to bio-based production methods can also lead to the development of carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative products. This comprehensive approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions aligns with international sustainability targets and promotes a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Community benefits
Giving communities and target industries a sense of purpose
The SECRETed project instills a sense of purpose by aligning its goals with broader societal and environmental objectives. By focusing on sustainable practices and the development of eco-friendly products, the project encourages communities and industries to actively participate in environmental conservation. This shared mission fosters a collective commitment to reducing pollution, conserving biodiversity, and promoting a healthier planet, giving stakeholders a meaningful role in addressing global challenges.
Creating synergies among stakeholders and industry actors
The collaborative nature of the SECRETed project facilitates synergies among diverse stakeholders, including research institutions and industry partners. By fostering partnerships and sharing knowledge, the project enhances innovation and efficiency in developing bio-based solutions. These collaborations not only drive technological advancements but also create a cohesive network of actors working towards common sustainability goals, amplifying the project’s impact across multiple sectors.
Empowering communities to demand sustainable solutions
The project’s emphasis on sustainable development could empower communities to advocate for greener practices within their industries. By demonstrating the viability and benefits of bio-based surfactants and siderophores, SECRETed could inspire local populations to push for the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies. This empowerment is crucial for driving systemic change, as informed and engaged communities are more likely to influence industry standards and policies towards sustainability.
Creating jobs in target industries
The advancement of biotechnological processes through the SECRETed project is poised to create new employment opportunities in the target industries. The development of bio-based products require skilled professionals in biotechnology, environmental science, and industrial operations. Additionally, the emphasis on circular economy practices can spur job creation in recycling and waste management sectors, further supporting economic growth while promoting environmental stewardship.
How does SECRETed raise environmental and community awareness?
Social Awareness Posts
Publication of social awareness posts in different platforms with key messages for a broader audience on the importance of the actions is carried out by SECRETed, and their future impact on sustainability for the industry. You can find these in our LinkedIn, Facebook and X. Also, we regularly write and publish specialised articles in which we contribute to the knowledge base around the positive socio-economic impact of the SECRETed actions. You can find these in our News & Events section on our website.
SECRETed’s Social Awareness Newsletter
Click here to download our Social Awareness Newsletter to find out all details about the work SECRETed is doing to raise Social and Consumer Awareness.
Workshops
At SECRETed, we are holding workshops / seminars with industry leaders, academia and the public, with the objective of expanding public understanding of interested parties. One of these events has already been completed during 2024, and there will be another taking place sometime during the second semester of the year.
First workshop: Our first social awareness workshop took place in Verona, Italy, earlier this year, and offered a forum for in-depth talks about SECRETed, with a particular emphasis on the main goals and the possible effects of marine-based chemicals on society. During this first event, feedback played a pivotal role. Attendees, coordinators, and partners engaged in a dialogue, offering perspectives and opinions on topics such as: the importance of raising consumer awareness, definition of biosurfactants and their significance, understanding the role of siderophores in marine-based compound production, the benefits and potential applications of SECRETed’s solutions in various fields, the applications of research findings in the food, cosmetic, the applications of research findings in the agrochemical, and health industries, the optimization of production processes and other innovative solutions.
Second workshop: The second Social Awareness Workshop of SECRETed project took place on September 26th, 2024, at Farmaforum, one of the biggest fairs for Pharma, Cosmetic, Nutraceutical and other related industries. The workshop was hosted by Blue Synergy and Idener.ai, with the collaboration of Fundación para el Conocimiento Madri+d and Enterprise Europe Network Spain, who helped secure the space for the workshop at Farmaforum.
Titled “From Concept to Scale-Up: Harnessing Biosurfactants with Model-Assisted Development” and presented by Idener’s Manuel Salvador and Blue Synergy’s Sebastián Ospina, the workshop gave the attendees a glimpse into the SECRETed Project’s vision and goals, as well as its most recent developments; an introduction to the potential of marine biotech in relation to the biosurfactants and siderophores integrated management platform; the future of Green Chemistry in Pharma and how harnessing biosurfactants may contribute to a sustainable drug development; and an overview of encapsulation innovations, with the objective of creating more sustainable Drug Delivery Systems. Thus, the workshop had a variety of interesting topics for researchers and decision-makers in the Pharma, Cosmetic and Nutraceutical industries.
