Valuable skin protection products are made from apple residues: Tres2Cera develops innovative processes for the extraction of bio-based ceramides and vaccine excipients from fruit pomace.
What is left over from pressing apples forms the basis for innovative health products. The DiP-Tres2Cera project is developing environmentally friendly processes to extract valuable ceramides from apple pomace and refine them into new vaccine adjuvants and skin protection products.
At the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry and partners in Halle, a technology platform is being created that combines artificial intelligence and enzyme technology to identify the desired ceramides and convert them biotechnologically and chemically in a targeted manner. This results in high-quality, vegan alternatives for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
In addition to economic recycling, there is also a particular focus on sustainability: the residual materials come from regional fruit farms, and extraction and refinement are carried out in an environmentally friendly manner. Market analyses and industrial partnerships accompany the development in order to transfer ceramide production to an industrial scale.
DiP-Tres2Cera shows how bioeconomy and digitalisation are combined locally to open up new markets and strengthen Saxony-Anhalt as a location for sustainable biotechnological route formation processes.
• Sustainable use of apple pomace as a source
of recyclable materials• Production of improved skin protection products
• Provision of vegan vaccine adjuvants
• Establishment of digital methods for active ingredient analysis
• Development of regional bioeconomic value creation
Subproject A involves the provision of ceramide-containing extracts and scale-up with different extraction methods. This sub-project also deals with the processing of side streams into other natural products from pomace.
Subproject B envisages the development of biocatalytic extract processing, which then leads to highly purified ceramide fractions. Here, too, the focus will be on scalability in order to ensure sufficient quantities for later applications.
Subproject C describes the refinement of the ceramides from subproject A,B by biocatalytic and chemical modifications. In particular, the modification of the acyl component will be the focus of the work here, which ensures the provision of homogeneous ceramides for skin protectors.
Subproject D comprises the analysis of the products produced in subprojects A-E. At the same time, AI elements are also being introduced here, which allow qualitative and, if possible, quantitative statements to be made via machine learning.
Subproject E envisages the refinement of ceramides in vaccine adjuvants, using biocatalytic and chemical processes, both of which will be designed in an environmentally friendly way in order to meet the requirements of offering vegan products.
Subproject F is dedicated to research that deals with the (bio)economic aspects. Here, consumer demands are to be coupled with the possibilities of product provision.
© 2025 DiP
The best way to regularly receive exclusive insights and valuable information on digitalization in agriculture.
(Soon to be published 4 times a year)
The best way to regularly receive exclusive insights and valuable information on digitalization in agriculture.
(Soon to be published 4 times a year)
