Determining the Antimicrobial Efficacy of CuanTec’s Technology

Packaging and cosmetics often use non-environmentally friendly petrochemicals or synthetic ingredients in their production. Manufacturing based on petrochemicals and synthetic agents is detrimental due to greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, non-biodegradability, toxicity and a lack of sustainability.

CuanTec is a biotechnology company based in Scotland who have developed proprietary technologies to up-cycle the waste stream from seafood processing companies into biodegradable, ocean-friendly, compostable bioplastics which have natural antimicrobial properties and can replace fossil-derived packaging. 

CuanTec’s process is an environmentally friendly way of recovering natural, pure chitin, and is a significant improvement to traditional chitin extraction processes that cause damage to the biopolymer and produce toxic by-products. The unique technology and antimicrobial properties of the chitin derivative, chitosan, can be used to help combat food insecurity. 

Challenge

This project aimed to assess the antimicrobial effectiveness of CuanTec’s technology.

Solution

Funding from IBioIC enabled CuanTec to work with Abertay University to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of the company’s proprietary chitosan based prototype formulations.

CuanTec provided chitosan in the form of a liquid formulation and  - proprietary prototype films. Abertay University’s Dr Janet Horrocks & Dr Moira Ledbetter performed antimicrobial challenge testing on these products to determine their antimicrobial efficacy.. The chitosan films were compared against typical food packaging currently on the market and the amount of bacterial growth was monitored in a variety of scenarios. Minimum inhibitory (MIC) and biocidal concentrations (BIC) were determined for the chitosan liquid formulations against three common pathogens.

Outcome

This project has enabled CuanTec to externally validate the antimicrobial effectiveness of two product lines, which will inform product patents and serve as a means to showcase the advantages of CuanTec's offerings to potential customers. As a result of this project, CuanTec have moved closer to commercialisation sooner than could have been achieved without support.

The wider impacts of this work could lead to a reduction in waste going to landfill, create more high-value jobs in Scotland, build on Scotland’s reputation for taking greener and more sustainable approaches to manufacturing products, and divert shellfisheries waste from landfill to create a useful and high-value product. There will also be health benefits from the use of non-toxic and beneficial ingredients in place of petrochemical based plastics or synthetic ingredients which are known to have detrimental effects on the environment and the consumer. CuanTec’s proprietary technology also produces a chitosan of high quality and thought to be a result of the more gentle and environmentally-friendly means of recovery. This expands the commercial markets available to CuanTec compared to that of other chitosan producers who use the conventional method of extraction.

This project may also lead to the project partners working together in future to conduct further testing and field trials as CuanTec moves its product through regulatory approval and on to commercialisation.