A project to develop a technology for producing biopolymers from the shells of Siberian crayfish has been launched at Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU). The aim of the research is to create sought-after products for medicine, the food industry, cosmetics and other industries.
Crayfish shells contain chitin, which is usually converted into chitosan, a natural substance with a wide range of applications. However, waste, including shells, is often thrown away. Also, the lack of domestically produced chitosan makes the biopolymer production project particularly relevant.
The new project solves two important tasks: reducing waste and developing the domestic chitosan market. Scientists are developing a way to turn crayfish remains into useful materials.
The project aims to solve two problems at once - reducing waste and expanding the potential of the domestic chitosan market.
The biopolymer production technology uses a special gel (due to this, synthesis is carried out in the gel phase), which allows you to create less waste and get more finished product. Researchers are now working on how to extract chitosan, a special substance that can be used in various fields. One of the important stages of this process is deacetylation, and it is it that affects what chitosan will be and how it can be used.
Drannikov notes that the immediate plans include assessing the resource base of the Novosibirsk region and interacting with partners to supply raw materials. In the future, scientists intend to scale the technology and bring it to an industrial level.
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