| Ref.No: | 92007500 |
| Start date: | 22.12.2023 |
| End date: | 31.12.2025 |
| Approval date: | 22.12.2023 |
| Department: | CHEMICAL ENGINEERING |
| Sector: | CHEMICAL SCIENCES |
| Financier: | UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE |
| Budget: | 15.061,62 € |
| Public key: | 95ΜΞ46ΨΖΣ4-ΔΧΗ |
| Scientific Responsible: | Prof. ANASTASIA DETSI |
| Email: | adetsi@chemeng.ntua.gr |
| Description: | IN CUMULATIVE GENERATION POTENTIAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESIDUES, CHINA IS THE WORLD LEADER WHILE EUROPE IS THE FOURTH. DESPITE THE FACT THESE RESIDUES ARE A SOURCE OF BIOACTIVES, FERMENTABLE SUGARS AND ONLY NATURAL AROMATIC POLYMER-LIGNIN THEY ARE STILL BURNT. THE MAIN OBSTACLE FOR THE BIOMASS VALORIZATION IS THE RECALCITRANT NATURE OF LIGNOCELLULOSE AND COMPOSITIONAL VARIABILITY REDUCING THE EFFICIENCY OF NON-SELECTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY IMPACTFUL CONVENTIONAL THERMAL TREATMENTS IN BIOREFINERIES. TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES, A NOVEL APPROACH IT IS PROPOSED COMBINING COLD PLASMA TREATMENT AND TASK-SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED NATURAL DEEP EUTECTIC SOLVENTS (NADES) FOR BIOMASS FRACTIONATION. THIS SCALABLE PROCESS AIMS TO RECOVER HIGH-VALUE COMPOUNDS FROM CEREAL STRAW AND HERBS. THE RESULTING FRACTIONS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED AND ASSAYED FOR VALORIZATION. THE BIOTRANSFORMATION OF THE OBTAINED NADES-EXTRACTED BIOACTIVES WILL TAKE PART USING PROBIOTIC BACTERIA AND THEN THEY WILL BE USED FOR FUNCTIONAL FOOD APPLICATIONS. THE CARBOHYDRATE-RICH FRACTIONS WILL BE CUSTOMIZED FOR SUGAR-BASED BIOREFINERIES, WHILE THE OBTAINED LIGNIN FRACTIONS WILL BE USED FOR LIGNIN-DEGRADING ENZYME PRODUCTION. THESE WILL BE TESTED FOR SELECTIVE DEPOLYMERIZATION OF LIGNIN INTO AROMATIC MONOMERS WHICH COULD BE FURTHER UTILIZED. |
