From 3 November to 2 December 2025, Mr. William Mawuko Siegu, a PhD student of ICRI-BioM, carried out a research internship in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) in Bodø, Norway.
The internship was conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Abirami Ramu Ganesan and focused on marine biopolymer science. The project investigated the sustainable valorization of Ascophyllum nodosum, a marine biomass abundant in the Nordic Sea and rich in valuable biopolymers such as fucoidan, laminarin, and alginate.
The research activities emphasized green extraction strategies, including deep eutectic solvents (DES) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (USE) within a circular bioprocessing framework. Key outcomes included pigment extraction, the simultaneous recovery of fucoidan and laminarin, solvent recycling, and biopolymer purification.
The continuation of this research is currently underway at ICRI-BioM, focusing on the utilization of these biopolymers for biomedical applications, thereby further strengthening the ongoing collaboration between ICRI-BioM and NIBIO.
Mr. William Mawuko Siegu is currently pursuing his PhD under the supervision of Dr hab. Olga Marchut-Mikołajczyk and Dr hab. Vignesh Kumaravel.
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