The OptoPhenol project is based on the UGent discovery that certain natural compounds work as activators to simultaneously increase the release of fermentable sugars and the extraction of valuable bioactive components, i.e., phenolic compounds, via an enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass.

The main aim is to further develop this discovery into a marketable technology for the most suitable and promising market applications.

More specifically, OptoPhenol will:

1. Perform an industry analysis to determine the 3 most suitable and promising market applications for the technology, including a needs-and-barriers analysis.
2. Strengthen the IP position by broadening the claims with additional data based on testing of the proposed technology under various conditions. The selection of the activators, enzymes and substrates will be in line with the results obtained by the needs-and-barriers analysis.  
3. Develop a technical proof-of-concept by upscaling the proposed method in a suitable bioreactor system tailored to the most promising market application, in combination with a Cost-Benefit analysis.