The Basque Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Neiker-Tecnalia, has made the most of the versatility of algae to develop an in vitro culture and obtain nutritional biomolecules for the food industry.

Neiker began to work on obtaining an alternative source of biomolecules that could be applied to the products manufactured by the Basque agriculture and food sector that could add healthier properties to their foods. In sight of the difficulty to obtain antioxidants and fatty acids such as Omega 3 by traditional methods, Neiker decided to cultivate microalgae, which offers a greater production volume of this type of components.

This method enables procurement of different necessary compounds, including essential fatty acids, antioxidant pigments and immune system activators. Additionally, these molecules provide the human organism with compounds that are essential for its maintenance.

Some of the foods to include these innovative biomolecules are milk, bread, juices or vegetable purées, as well as tuna fish, since these are staple foods and it is easier to include these nutrients in these products.

Among their many advantages, they prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's, they can improve the development of babies' brain during their foetal or embryonic phases and they may prevent eye-related problems. Moreover, another of the scopes for action considered by Neiker for these biomolecules is the improvement of feed for aquaculture fish.