Biorescue: Enhanced bioconversion of agricultural residues through cascading use

Mushroom production generates three million tonnes of compost each year in the European Union which is currently landfilled or used for landscaping purposes even though it contains valuable organic components. In view of transforming this compost into a new income stream for mushroom producers, the BIOrescue project aims to develop and demonstrate a new innovative biorefinery concept based on the cascading use of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) supplemented by wheat straw (and other seasonal underutilized lignocellulosic feedstocks). This new concept will avoid disposal and allow for the production of some biodegradable bio-based products and bioactive compounds that will help to replace the existing ones based on fossil resources. The research will help to expand the business opportunities of the mushroom cultivation farms, and the know-how and business opportunities of all the partners involved. The main scientific innovations are: improved methods for the lab-based rapid (NIR) (1) analysis of biomass, innovative two step fractionation of SMS, synergistic effects for complete SMS glucan hydrolysis, innovative enzyme immobilisation strategy, development of highly efficient glucan-enzymes, novel lignin based nano- and micro-carriers and biopesticide production from monomeric sugars derived from SMS and their packaging into nanocarriers.