Yemoja joins €7.5M project to turn microalgae into IBD-friendly NPD

30 Aug 2021 --- Yemoja is aiming to commercialize the production of various microalgae candidates for managing inflammation and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). These will be identified in a four-year research initiative headed by the Israel-based MIGAL Galilee Research Institute.

The ingredients could eventually be used in functional food solutions, such as bread, gummies and bars, as well as natural supplements and pharmaceuticals.

“We hope that in the third year, we will have the best candidate(s) that will present the highest activity combined with ease of cultivation and high biomass yields,” Amikam Bar-Gil, co-founder and chief technology officer of Yemoja, tells NutritionInsight.

The company can then roll out commercial-scale production of these candidates for use at a global scale. Yemoja’s technology involves a small-batch production line of vertical luminescent columns, each assigned to a specific algae species. 

Yemoja alters cultivation properties
The initiative Yemoja has joined is called Algae4IBD. It was launched in June and was awarded a grant of €7.5 million (US$8.9 million) from the EU funding arm, Horizon 2020. This will provide the funding for research, materials and workforce for Yemoja’s participation. 

The company’s role will revolve around cultivating multiple strains of known and novel microalgae to be screened for their potential anti-IBD properties.

Several hundred strains will be screened before advancing to clinical trials. The microalgae candidates will be supplied by Yemoja in conjunction with other global algae companies.

“By using our knowledge and system, we will alter the cultivation properties. Through this, we will try to enhance the bioactivity of the extract or of the specific molecule. This is if we can pinpoint exactly which molecule is responsible for that activity,” notes Bar-Gil.

The 21-member consortium that includes Yemoja is also composed of marine science experts, research institutes, universities, hospitals and IBD centers and other algae cultivation companies.

An ocean of knowledge to uncover
Bar-Gil believes that a “promising” solution for IBD could be hiding within the cell walls of microalgae. Notably, there are some preliminary data within the peer-reviewed literature suggesting that microalgae could harbor anti-inflammatory activity within the digestive tract.

“Although this arm of research is still in early stages, leaving an ocean of knowledge still needing to be uncovered. This consortium was devised to pioneer the first robust and broadscale inquiry into the positive connection between microalgae and IBD,” he explains. 

He adds that many strains of microalgae have different properties. At this point, it is impossible to assess which strain will have the best potential for IBD treatment. 

“Also, we can’t state exactly which substance or molecule is responsible for that activity. It might be possible that the whole extract will do the job.” Cultivation limits previously hampered research investigating microalgae for IBD. 

Harnessing photobioreactor tech
Yemoja’s high-precision indoor cultivation platform enables the company to manipulate environmental parameters such as light, temperature and pH. This enables high concentrations of the desired bioactive compounds and enhances yields without the threat of contamination.

“This is a major advantage when addressing algae-based bioactive compounds,” says Dr. Dorit Avni, leader of Algae4IBD and a senior researcher for MIGAL.

“Moreover, Yemoja’s photobioreactor technology possesses capabilities to simultaneously produce any desired microalgae species, of any required quantity, rendering it ideal for the needs of the research project.”

Last spring, Yemoja’s CEO highlighted how microalgae is an untapped area, with applications including weight management, fatty liver disease and eye health, as well as the skin. 

IBD becomes global concern 
According to Bar-Gil, Algae4IBD is the first far-reaching study to comprehensively assess the potential of an “extraordinarily wide” spectrum of microalgae for managing IBD. This was not possible before due to cultivation limitations.

“Microalgae are esteemed for their inherently rich content of healthful fatty acids, protein, antioxidant pigments and polysaccharides, and presents multifaceted avenues for addressing IBD,” he explains. 

IBD – along with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease – is one of the chronic relapsing disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. These affect more than 2 million Europeans and 1.5 million US consumers and are characterized by prolonged intestinal inflammation. 

Yemoja points to data showing that the proliferation of the condition predominated in newly industrialized countries at the turn of the 21st century but has slowly progressed to become a global problem.

Another ingredient proving popular for IBD and wider gut health is probiotics, with Chr. Hansen recently shedding light on this area. 

By Katherine Durrell