Pigment Research Is ‘Completely Novel’

Natural blue colouring agent could benefit cosmetics and food industries ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Researchers are developing ways to use a natural blue pigment as a colouring agent in industries such as cosmetics and food. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cardiff University and 21 international partners have secured €1.6m of EU funding to investigate commercial applications for the pigment, which is currently used to enhance the value of oysters as part of a multi-million euro business in France. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The co-leaders are Dr Rupert Perkins, of Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, and Jean-Luc Mouget from France’s Université du Maine, which is co-ordinating the project. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Perkins said: “The blue diatoms are single-celled algae of the genus Haslea and produce a blue-coloured pigment – which is rare in nature – both inside the cells and externally. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“They are best known in the oyster industry as they turn oysters a green colour which greatly increases how much they are worth, a process valued in the millions of euros in the French oyster industry. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“What we’re doing is completely novel and if it works would create a natural, harmless, biodegradable blue pigment for industrial use that is also a useful antibacterial agent.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Dr Perkins and the research team aim to work out how to use the algae to produce the pigment as a colouring agent for industry at a commercially viable level. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The international project includes academic and non-academic partners from Europe such as Greece, Spain and Poland, and further afield including USA, Australia, Indonesia, Algeria and Vietnam. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Funding for the research comes from the EU’s Horizon 2020, the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever, with nearly €80bn of investment available over seven years to 2020. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The €1.6m grant is allocated from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (MSCA – RISE) strand of Horizon 2020, which funds short-term exchanges for staff to develop careers combining scientific excellence with exposure to other countries and sectors. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​