Guwahati: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with K.N. Bioscience (India) Pvt. Ltd. on 18th February 2025 to commercialize a new technology for large-scale production of C-Phycocyanin from Spirulina biomass.

This breakthrough promises to revolutionize the biotechnology industry by offering a sustainable, cost-effective solution to produce the natural blue pigment, C-Phycocyanin.

The technology, developed by IIT Guwahati researchers, addresses challenges in production costs and inefficiencies in extraction.

It utilizes a green process that eliminates harmful chemicals and enhances environmental sustainability. By improving Spirulina biomass yield and intracellular phycocyanin concentrations, the process delivers high yields in a shorter duration.

C-Phycocyanin has various applications in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and aquaculture. It is used as a natural colorant, a nutraceutical, and a diagnostic marker. The new technology allows for high-purity extraction and single-step purification, making it commercially viable.

This collaboration marks a significant milestone for India's biotechnology sector, creating new industry opportunities, job growth, and supporting the country's bioeconomy goals.

The process has shown promising results at experimental scales, with a patent granted for the downstream extraction and purification process.