BLUES - Bioprocesses for metabolite production from marine invertebrate cell lines

Marine invertebrates are an important source of unique bioactive compounds with high value for medicine, biotechnology and other advanced applications. Traditionally, these substances have been harvested from wild organisms, which creates challenges related to sustainability, supply stability and environmental impact.

BLUES aims to change this by developing innovative culture systems for cell lines from four groups of marine animals: sponges (Porifera), cnidarians, echinoderms (Echinodermata) and chordates (Chordata). The project builds on a recent breakthrough in which researchers succeeded in establishing the first continuous cell line from a marine sponge—a milestone that enables rapid cell division and opens the door to industrial‑scale bioprocessing of marine natural products.

By optimising production yields and developing new bioprocess pathways, BLUES will pave the way for environmentally friendly and circular processes that can replace wild harvesting and secure a stable supply of high‑value bioactive compounds.

The technologies developed through BLUES will help strengthen the blue bioeconomy by making it possible to produce valuable marine natural products sustainably and at scale.