Spirulina for Resilience: Sustainable Protein Production

Laboratory Study

Food systems worldwide are under pressure to become more sustainable, more resilient, and less dependent on resource-intensive production. Microalgae have emerged as one of the most promising responses to this challenge, offering a dual potential as both a nutritional supplement and a feedstock for biofuel production.

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) stands out among them. With a protein content of 60–70% of dry weight and a richness in functional molecules — including phycocyanin, a natural blue pigment with strong antioxidant properties — it offers exceptional nutritional value. Crucially, its production requires little land and water, making it particularly relevant for regions where resources are scarce or access to conventional food supply chains is fragile.

A missing link: Lack of a local production chain

Despite Lebanon's favourable climatic conditions and existing scientific expertise, no structured local production chain exists that delivers standardized spirulina biomass or purified phycocyanin meeting international quality requirements. This limits local value creation and leaves supply chains vulnerable to geopolitical and climate-driven disruptions.

An integrated pathway from lab to pilot production

The project addresses this gap by developing an integrated production pathway that simultaneously optimizes protein yield and phycocyanin accumulation, applying an algorefinery logic in which the same biomass can be valorized through different routes depending on quality, market needs, and crisis conditions. Cultivation will be conducted first in indoor photo bioreactors, followed by a verification of the results in an outdoor raceway system operating under real solar conditions at the Lebanese University. Both phases will assess the optimization of light, temperature, nutrient, and harvesting parameters, followed by extraction, purification, and techno-economic feasibility.

The work is structured around three parallel goals:

• Technical and scientific optimization of spirulina cultivation and downstream processing
• Demonstration of an industrially viable dual-valorization model supported by techno-economic analysis.
• Assessment of how locally produced spirulina-based proteins can realistically increase food security in Lebanon under conflict conditions, economic instability, and climate stress

Where biotechnology meets governance

The interdisciplinary design combines Lebanese and French expertise in biotechnology and photobioreactor engineering with German expertise in food security governance, conflict-sensitive analysis, and regulatory frameworks. 

Results will be shared through peer-reviewed publications and training materials for graduate students and early-career researchers. On the technical side, the project team produces validated cultivation and harvesting protocols optimized for both protein content and phycocyanin yield, a demonstrated pilot-scale production system operating under real solar conditions in Lebanon, and a kinetic growth model to support future industrial scale-up. These scientific outputs are complemented by two analytical documents: a techno-economic feasibility report assessing the conditions for viable industrial deployment, and a resilience and food-security assessment with scenario-based recommendations for integrating spirulina-based proteins into fragile food systems under conflict and climate stress.

The members Dr. Hiba Rajha and Dr. Dörthe Engelcke extend their gratitude to the project assistant Dr. Hosni Takache, who plays a crucial role in the experimental design development for indoor and outdoor photobioreactors.