Noru Biofusion Research Institute Wins National Project for Developing Eco-Friendly Bio Materials

Formation of 'Seaweed Biorefinery Research Group' as an Industry-Academia Cooperation Council with 7 Domestic Universities Including Pohang University of Science and Technology

A researcher at Noroo Bio Convergence Research Institute engaged in research activities.
[Photo by Noroo Holdings]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Noroo Bio Convergence Research Institute, under Noroo Holdings Co., Ltd., announced on the 18th that it has formed the 'Seaweed Biorefinery Research Group,' an industry-academia cooperation council with seven major domestic universities including Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and Seoul National University, to carry out the national project 'Development of Domestic Technology for Marine Bio Industry Materials,' supported by the Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology Promotion.

The theme is 'Development of Integrated Bioprocess Based on Seaweed for Eco-friendly Plastic Materials,' aiming to extract and develop eco-friendly bio-materials from marine resources. The ultimate goal is to apply the extracted and developed substances to eco-friendly plastics and other materials.

The core substance to be extracted and developed is ‘3HP’ (3-Hydroxypropionic acid, 3-Haideuksyu Peuropionsan), a somewhat unfamiliar material to the general public, which is extracted through bio-processes from natural materials such as seaweed, microorganisms, and corn. 3HP is an important substance selected as one of the 'Top 12 Future Materials' by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is called a 'platform chemical' (multipurpose chemical) because it can be applied in various forms. It can be widely applied in areas such as biodegradable plastics and superabsorbent resins for hygiene products, attracting attention as a 'high value-added future bio-material' that can replace petroleum-based materials in the future.

An official from the Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology Promotion, which supports this project, said, "The development of eco-friendly bio-materials is an essential task for future generations and was selected as a national project through long-term review and public-private cooperation."

A representative from POSTECH, responsible for the research part, explained, "Bio-based 3HP is extracted from natural materials, making it sustainable, and it can improve problems caused by existing petrochemical materials, contributing to solving social issues such as white pollution and global warming."

The Noroo Bio Convergence Research Institute currently possesses 3HP manufacturing and mass production technology and plans to complete the establishment of a 'demo scale' facility for optimized automated processes by the end of this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.