In 2014, the research project "(co)-Operation SKD - Kooperation zum Kompetenzaufbau Hochwertige Produkte aus Algen – Screening, Kultivierung, Downstreaming“ has been started at MCI University in Innsbruck. Collaboration partners are the university of Applied Sciences Upper Austria and the Austrian Drug Screening Institute (ADSI). The project is funded by the Austrian Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft (FFG) and aims at the development of processes for the production of high value products from phototrophic microorganisms and the energetic use of the resulting waste biomass. Hereby, aquatic and terrestric microalage including cyanobacteria from different collections undergo systematic screening procedures. Promising strains are cultivated in small scale and analysed regarding interesting substances. The focus is on a collection of terrestric microalgae at the Institute of Botany of the University of Innsbruck. Most of the strains come from alpine habitats and are capable to adapt to different stress factors such as UV radiation, dehydration and competing bacteria and fungi. As the responsible substances have not been identified in most of the strains, there is a large potential for the identification of novel interesting compounds such as antibiotics, antioxidants or antiinflammatoric substances.
As terrestric microalgae have special demands during cultivation, photobioreactors have to be adapted. The cultivation parameters for growth and product yield are identified by extensive screening procedures.