MAGPRO²LIFE · Advanced Magnetic nanoparticles deliver smart Processes and Products for Life

Biotechnologically derived substances for large scale feed, food and pharma applications represent one of the most important sources of new products due to their precisely controlled structural and functional properties, potential for economic and responsible production and overall broad benefits to society through biocompatibility and sustainability. The costs of producing biomaterials are in many cases dominated by separation processes, which can constitute 80% of the total cost of production. Using smart magnetic adsorbent particles to selectively separate the target product out of a complex product mixture like the fermentation broth or bio-feed stock can drastically reduce costs. By using magnetic separation and extraction technologies to separate the magnetic carrier particles, novel processing ways emerge. The main objective of the MagPro²Life project is to scale-up innovative nanotechnology based processes defined in the previous NanoBioMag Project, funded by the EU under the FP6 programme (NMP3-CT-2005-013469), to pilot-line-scale and demonstrate those for bio, food and pharma applications. Link to market needs is represented by a preliminary product selection of natural soy based nutraceuticals or pharmaceuticals like Bowman-Birk Inhibitor (BBI), a proteases inhibitor for MS-treatment, and Lunasin which is in discussion to have anti-carcinogenic properties as well as recombinant proteins and nucleic acids (Fragment-Antibody-Binding and Phytase). The Consortium is driven by the potential the magnetic separation technology has for improving the value-chain in industrial production for emerging biotech, food and pharma markets.