An innovative bio-refinery integration: Chitin production from crab shell waste.

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This innovative project will integrate food industry waste with biorefining of a readily available non-food feedstock to overcome barriers for the production of high value chemicals with implications for the environment and rural economy. It will develop a process for the co-production of organic acid and chitin by co-fermenting the crab waste in combination with plant biomass using a microorganism which produces an organic acid resulting in solubilisation of protein and minerals and consequent buffering of the medium for an optimal fermentation. Protein degrading enzymes will be included for co-removal of proteins. Released minerals will reduce costs by enhancing production of the organic acids in the fermenting medium. The purified chitin will be assessed for its potential use as an agricultural bio-stimulant and as a raw material for producing both water treatment and personal and health care products. Economic models will be developed to determine the suitability of establishing full scale biorefineries in rural communities within the UK and will take into account the value of co-products including organic acids and protein.