Unlocking the potential of microalgae

Microalgae could play a major role in the future of sustainable nutrition. Rich in valuable compounds with applications across the food, nutraceutical and biotechnology sectors, they offer enormous commercial potential. Yet one challenge continues to stand in the way: extracting those compounds efficiently without driving up costs or energy use.

For FutureAlgae, overcoming that challenge meant bringing together their entrepreneurial ambition and with the academic expertise at London South Bank University (LSBU) through the BIG Growth Innovation Programme. Together, they developed and validated a lower-energy extraction process that significantly out performed conventional methods, helping the business reduce technical risk and move one step closer to commercialisation.

The challenge

Future By Insects, trading as FutureAlgae, were developing a sustainable microalgae production platform for high-value nutritional ingredients. As the business progressed, one obstacle became increasingly clear: although the algae could be successfully cultivated, recovering valuable compounds such as carotenoids in an efficient and commercially viable way remained a major technical challenge.

Traditional extraction methods rely on drying the biomass before mechanically breaking it down. Not only are these processes energy intensive, but they also increase operating costs and can reduce the quality of the compounds being recovered. For an early-stage business focused on sustainable innovation, this represented a significant barrier to growth.

FutureAlgae wanted to investigate whether a lower-energy alternative could deliver competitive extraction yields. However, without specialist laboratory facilities or analytical capability in-house, validating a new approach would have been extremely difficult.

The collaboration

FutureAlgae joined the BIG Growth Innovation Programme and were matched with Dr Meredith Barr, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at LSBU's School of Engineering and Design.

Working alongside research assistant, Mina Pourkhatoun, the LSBU team collaborated closely with FutureAlgae over four months to design and deliver a structured feasibility study. Rather than simply testing ideas in isolation, the project was built around continuous collaboration, with laboratory findings informing business decisions throughout the process.

This combination of industrial knowledge and academic expertise enabled the team to investigate an entirely new extraction approach while ensuring the research remained focused on FutureAlgae's commercial objectives.

Academic expertise

Dr Barr's research focuses on green chemistry and the selective extraction of high-value compounds from biomass. Drawing on this knowledge, the LSBU team designed a structured solvent-screening programme to identify alternatives to conventional extraction techniques.

Over the course of the project, they developed an experimental workflow that combined solvent screening, analytical testing and microscopic analysis to better understand why certain extraction methods performed more effectively than others. Rather than producing isolated laboratory results, the collaboration generated practical evidence that FutureAlgae could use to inform future product development and investment decisions.

Developing a new extraction process

Across the four-month project, the team designed and tested a complete extraction workflow aimed at reducing both energy use and technical uncertainty.

The work included:

• Screening a range of candidate extraction solvents
• Developing an extraction and recovery workflow
• Benchmarking performance against conventional extraction methods
• Validating an analytical testing method to accurately measure extraction performance
• Using light microscopy to understand how cell disruption influenced extraction efficiency

The study identified Tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide (TBPH) as the strongest-performing solvent, providing FutureAlgae with a validated technical direction for future development.

Results and impact

The collaboration delivered a significant breakthrough for FutureAlgae.

The newly developed extraction process achieved yields of up to nine times those achieved using conventional method while operating at room temperature and removing the need for an energy-intensive drying stage. Alongside the improved extraction performance, the project also produced a validated extraction protocol and decision-ready technical dataset that FutureAlgae can build on as it continues to scale its technology.

The project helped to remove a critical technical bottleneck that had been limiting the company's route to commercialisation, reducing uncertainty around one of the most challenging stages of its production process.

The impact extended beyond the technical work itself. The results directly supported FutureAlgae in securing follow-on funding through an Innovate UK Resource Efficiency project and a Supergen Bioenergy Hub Business Interaction Voucher, enabling the business to continue refining and validating the technology.

The collaboration also strengthened LSBU's research portfolio in sustainable biomass processing, contributed to the University's membership of the Super gen Bioenergy Hub and provided valuable industry-facing experience for research assistant Mina Pourkhatoun.

Reflections from the team

"The BIG Growth Programme provided access to the facilities and expertise needed to test and validate a core part of our process. Working with LSBU enabled us to generate high-quality experimental data that would not have been possible in-house. This reduced technical risk and supported our ability to secure further grant funding"
Evelyn Peters, FutureAlgae

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"A focused four-month feasibility study let us go from no validated process to a clear lead approach that achieved yields of up to nine times those achieved using conventional extraction methods. Working with FutureAlgae was highly collaborative, with analytical results shaping decisions throughout the project. The BIG Growth Programme made this early technical validation possible."

Dr Meredith Barr, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, London South Bank University

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Looking ahead

With a validated extraction process now established, FutureAlgae is continuing to build on the project's success through its Innovate UK and Supergen Bioenergy Hub programmes.

The next phase of development will focus on testing the extraction approach using industrially relevant wet biomass while exploring solvent recovery and reuse to further improve efficiency and sustainability. At the same time, FutureAlgae and LSBU are exploring wider collaborative opportunities, including participation in a European funding consortium focused on developing an integrated drying-free biomanufacturing platform.

Final word

FutureAlgae's journey demonstrates how targeted academic collaboration can help innovative businesses overcome complex technical challenges.

By combining scientific expertise with commercial ambition, FutureAlgae and LSBU transformed an important research question into a validated process with genuine commercial potential. The project has reduced technical risk, strengthened the company's innovation pathway and created a platform for future investment and development.

For FutureAlgae, this is not the end of the journey. It's the foundation for the next stage of sustainable innovation.

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About the programme

The BIG Growth Innovation Programme connects South London businesses with academic expertise from London South Bank University and partner universities, delivering tailored collaborative support to help businesses innovate and grow. The programme is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) by the Greater London Authority. The aim of the UKSPF was to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

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