OPTIBIOCAT
Cosmetic compounds
Coordinator Professor Vincenza Faraco explains how OPTIBIOCAT, an international,
interdisciplinary project focused on the eco-friendly production of cosmetics, will help
move industrial activities in a greener, cleaner and more sustainable direction
Could you begin with a brief introduction to
the OPTIBIOCAT project?
The goal is to replace the chemical processes
currently used in the production of cosmetics
with sustainable alternatives. Resource- and
energy-efficient biotechnological processes
will be introduced with a view to creating
higher quality products. Novel enzymes able
to catalyse the targeted bioconversions form
the basis of this work, acting as catalytic
drivers. The newly developed compounds will
enable easier emulsification, stabilisation
and conservation of cosmetic products.
Furthermore, animal testing will be avoided
and end consumers can be assured they are
receiving eco-friendly processed products.
Project implementation requires the
concerted action of a selection of unique
research teams, each providing profound
knowledge and experience. The coordinating
institution – the Department of Chemical
Sciences of the University of Naples Federico
II – has extensive experience in coordinating
research programmes, a deep interest in
cooperative research, and consolidated
expertise both in basic scientific research and
studies aimed at developing biotechnological
industrial processes.
What qualifies a cosmetic product to use
terms like ‘natural’, ‘organic’ or ‘bio’ in its
marketing?
A cosmetic can be defined as natural if
95-100 per cent of the total ingredients come
from natural origins. In particular, the product
must not be tested on animals or contain
synthetic fragrances and colours, petroleumderived products (paraffin, polyethylene
glycol, -propyl, -alkyl, etc.), silicone oils and
derivatives, genetically modified ingredients
(complying with EU organic regulations)
or irradiation of botanical ingredients and
end products.
To be defined as organic, 95-100 per cent
of a cosmetic’s plant ingredients must be
organically farmed. Organic ingredients are
those grown and produced in accordance
with strict government-controlled standards
– the same organic standards that apply
to food with third-party verification. These
prohibit use of synthetic pesticides, chemical
fertilisers, sewage sludge or genetically
modified organisms (GMOs). Strict rules
also apply to the treatment of animals and
the environment.
Do you think these definitions are clear
to consumers?
Since 2010, and with the trend towards natural
cosmetics flaring across the world, there
has been a strong consensus among natural
cosmetics manufacturers for a need to
harmonise the definitions for natural, organic
or other such claims on cosmetics products.
Several years later, this harmonisation is not
complete, and manufacturers have the choice
of complying their products to requirements
according to a number of bodies that audit and
certify cosmetics, such as Ecocert, the Soil
Association, Cosmos and BDIH, among others.
The cosmetics industry participants in the
OPTIBIOCAT project, KORRES in particular,
ensure raw materials are natural or of natural
origin, but their formulations also use a small
percentage of non-natural raw materials for
reasons of texture, preservation and stability.
On-package information allows consumers
to understand the actual percentage of
naturality of the product and decide if they
want to use it or not. This information, known
as formula facts, has had particular impact in
one of their major retailers in the US, who has
enforced this on-package information to other
brands that claim to be natural.
Other industrial sectors beyond those strictly
connected to OPTIBIOCAT that can benefit
from our project results are: the biofuel
industry – since the addition of the project’s
new biocatalysts to the enzymatic cocktail
for pretreated lignocellulose conversion
can improve the efficiency of hydrolysis; the
pharmaceutical industry – since biocatalysts
can be involved in tailor-made conversions for
the production of pharmaceuticals associated
with the production of several phenolic
compounds that have so far demonstrated
inhibition activity towards several infective
microorganisms; and the food industry – since
the new biocatalysts also find applications
in the agro-food industries, mainly in the
production of ferulic acid, which is generally
used as a food preservative.
How would you like to see OPTIBIOCAT
develop this year?
The expected project outcomes are extremely
industry-driven, and exploitation of the results
will be in line with partners’ own development
strategies. Patent applications will be made
for relevant innovative procedures and
products, and costs will be shared according to
percentage ownership.
The main steps to be achieved in the next
year are: selection of new fungal enzymes
endowed with new properties in comparison
with the enzymes already available within the
consortium; expression and characterisation
of 500 bacterial enzymes; creation of libraries
of at least 150,000 evolved mutants of
esterases and four immobilised esterases; and
formation of a library containing hundreds of
synthesised compounds.
Will OBTIBIOCAT’s reach extend beyond the
cosmetics sector?
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Green beauty
Industry-relevant research coordinated by the
University of Naples Federico II brings together
a broad interdisciplinary team of researchers,
academics and industry experts. Developing novel
eco-friendly biocatalysts, the work is set to drive
forward innovation in the EU
ORGANIC IS BECOMING an increasingly
ubiquitous concept as consumers become
ever more aware of the numerous benefits
of environmentally friendly products. This
encompasses a growing interest in how goods
are produced, ie. whether the production
processes are harmful to the environment
or if the products are tested on animals, for
example. Demand for goods labelled ‘natural’,
‘organic’ or ‘bio’ is particularly high in the
cosmetics industry and continues to rise,
prompting incredible growth of the sector.
However, mounting consumer awareness
has triggered the evaluation of industrial
processes in this and other sectors to ensure
they satisfy changing customer requirements.
Chemical synthesis currently employed in
the manufacture of cosmetics presents
limitations such as unwanted side reactions
and the need for strong chemical catalysts
and conditions. In order to overcome these
drawbacks, a new EU project will replace
conventional chemical reactions with
bioconversions catalysed by enzymes known
as biocatalysts. In doing so, OPTIBIOCAT aims
to assist the cosmetics sector by equipping
it with the knowledge and expertise required
to introduce new environmentally friendly
processes and the use of natural ingredients.
This will help make industrial practices more
sustainable, eco-friendly and cost-effective.
AN IMPRESSIVE UNDERTAKING
With expertise in leading and coordinating
national and international projects, Professor
Vincenza Faraco of the University of Naples
Federico II (UNINA), Italy, is well equipped to
head up OPTIBIOCAT. Funded by the EU Seventh
Framework Programme (FP7)’s Knowledge
Based Bio-Economy scheme, the international
project has backing of around €7 million and
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INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION
will run for four years. A highly interdisciplinary
endeavour, OPTIBIOCAT boasts a diverse
consortium of 16 partners from eight European
countries. “In order to benefit from cultural
European diversity and strengthen the European
fellowship, countries from Northern (Sweden,
Germany, Netherlands, Finland), Southern
(Portugal, Italy, Greece) and Western (France)
Europe are involved,” Faraco elaborates.
Possessing a highly competent R&D capacity,
among the project partners are five universities,
two research organisations, eight SMEs and
one large company, each with specific expertise
valuable to the consortium.“The variety of
tasks to be performed in order to develop the
OPTIBIOCAT concepts requires the involvement
of a highly skilled partnership,” explains Faraco.
“The project will have a strong industrial drive
and allow industrially relevant targets to be
achieved and the industrial feasibility of the
developed concepts to be demonstrated.”
In terms of its structure, OPTIBIOCAT is
divided into seven distinct work packages
(WPs) to ensure the project objectives are
fulfilled. WP1 is devoted to the project’s
management and WP7 to the dissemination
and exploitation of the results, while the
stages in between concentrate on research,
technology development and demonstration.
BURGEONING BIOCATALYSTS
OPTIBIOCAT will develop optimised biocatalysts
based on feruloylesterases (FAEs) and
glucuronoylesterases (GEs) with a number of
desirable qualities; namely, higher operational
stability, thermoresistance, resistance to
solvents, yield and productivity. These novel
enzymes will enable the biocatalysis of
reactions currently performed chemically,
allowing more efficient biotransformations and
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
OPTIMISED BIOCATALYSTS
• Higher operational stability
– recyclability for at least 10
fold cycles
• Higher thermoresistance and
resistance to solvents – at least
a threefold increased half-life
at 50 °C and at least a threefold
increased half-life in the presence
of detergentless microemulsion
solvents (hexane, n- and t-butanol)
• Higher yield – up to a theoretical
yield of 100 per cent for phenolic
fatty esters and 80 per cent
for phenolic sugar esters
• Higher productivity – up to 1 g/l/h
productivity for the synthesis
of alkyl hydroxycinnamates
and 0.5 g/l/h for the synthesis
of sugar hydroxycinnamates
THE OPTIBIOCAT CONSORTIUM
• University of Naples
Federico II, Italy
• BIOCOM AG, Germany
Towards eco-friendly production of cosmetics.
• CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity
Centre, Netherlands
• Chalmers University of
Technology, Sweden
possibly new reactions. The goal is to produce
an inventory that includes 50 novel fungal and
500 novel bacterial esterases. OPTIBIOCAT
will also develop processes for the production
of FAEs and GEs that are energy efficient and
eco-friendly. The synthetic capabilities of these
enzymes will be used to produce antioxidants
by enzymatic esterification. The OPTIBIOCAT
antioxidants’ properties of the ingredients will
advance a cosmetic formula into a premium
product that will benefit the consumer.
Once developed, the enzymes will be
optimised to enhance yield and productivity
of the reactions, generating the main seven
antioxidants identified as targets within the
project. Additionally, FAEs and GEs will be
tested for production of other compounds
with enhanced biological activity and desired
properties for cosmetics applications. Following
refinement of the enzymes, the fermentation
and bioconversion processes will be scaled up,
with the production of enzymes and compounds
increasing from 1-20 litres, and the ability
of the newly developed biocatalysts to work
in conditions that mimic industrial settings
demonstrated. After this, the technological and
economic viability of the up-scaled process,
environmental aspects of their industrial
application, and allergenic properties and safety
of the antioxidant compounds will be assessed.
PROMISING BEGINNINGS
Now in its second year, OPTIBIOCAT is still in
its early stages, yet has uncovered a number
of key products and results. Among these are
1,636 putative fungal FAEs, 166 putative fungal
GEs and 500 putative bacterial FAE protein
sequences identified by genome mining and
gene model correction for 54 fungal candidate
FAEs and 20 fungal candidate GEs.“The
consortium policy will be to patent all innovative
results that could be exploited with respect
to the internal rules regarding intellectual
property rights,” Faraco reveals. OPTIBIOCAT’s
output will have a direct impact on the market
development of biocatalysts and conversions,
helping expand the types of chemical
transformations industry has at its disposal.
The main end users that will benefit from
the project are the biotechnology industry,
• CLEA Technologies
BV, Netherlands
• Dyadic NL BV, Netherlands
• Institut National de la Recherche
Agronomique, France
• KORRES SA Natural
Products, Greece
• Luleå University of
Technology, Sweden
• NZYTech, Portugal
INTELLIGENCE
OPTIBIOCAT
OBJECTIVE
To develop biocatalysts and replace the chemical
processes currently used in the production of
cosmetics with sustainable alternatives.
PARTNERS
For full details of the consortium, please
visit: http://bit.ly/the_consortium
FUNDING
EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)
Knowledge Based Bio-Economy scheme
CONTACT
Professor Vincenza Faraco
Project Coordinator
Department of Chemical Sciences
University of Naples Federico II (UNINA)
Complesso Universitario Monte Sant’Angelo
Via Cintia 4
IT-80126 Napoli
Italy
T +39 081 674 315
E [email protected]
www.optibiocat.eu
www.linkedin.com/company/optibiocat
• Proteonic BV, Netherlands
www.facebook.com/optibiocat
• Service XS BV, Netherlands
@optibiocat
• SUPREN GmbH, Germany
• Taros Chemicals GmbH
& Co KG, Germany
• University of Helsinki, Finland
• Westfälische WilhelmsUniversität Münster, Germany
PROFESSOR VINCENZA FARACO
has a PhD in Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology. She is an
expert in the field of purification
and characterisation of fungal and
bacterial enzymes, their recombinant expression and
improvement by rational mutagenesis and directed
evolution. She leads the activities of the UNINA
Industrial, Molecular and Environmental Biotechnology
(BIMA) team in search for new feruloyl and glucuronoyl
esterases and their improvement. Alongside her
research, she is Associate Member of ChemRAWN
(CHEMical Research Applied to World Needs –
particularly those working with industrial
enzymes, and the cosmetics sector, as well as
consumers who will have access to products
containing natural ingredients. Beyond this,
advantages will be yielded for the biofuel,
pharmaceutical and food industries, which
can also profit from the newly developed
biocatalysts and antioxidants. Cleaner
production processes will furthermore have a
directly beneficial impact on the environment,
eliminating high temperatures, unwanted side
reactions and polluting by-products. Finally,
on a broader scale still, OPTIBIOCAT will
contribute to the objectives of industrial and
innovation policy, enhancing the industrial
capabilities of the EU and rendering the
economy more competitive and sustainable.
www.iupac.org/web/ins/021) of the International
Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and
representative of UNINA as Associate Member of
the Biobased Industries Public Private Platform
(www.biconsortium.eu). She is currently involved
in several research projects as coordinator or WP
leader: ENERBIOCHEM (PON01_01966) 2012-15 (WP3
leader); OPTIBIOCAT (613868) 2013-17 (Coordinator);
BIOASSORT (318931), 2012-16 (Coordinator); and
BioPoliS (PON03PE_00107_1) 2014-16 (Coordinator)
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