Ourbiolab is a multidisciplinary research team that focuses on developing biotechnological processes for food and environmental applications. Their research lines include producing probiotic bacteria and bacteriocins for use in animal feed and active packaging, applying nanoscience to food, and exploiting food industry byproducts. They are currently involved in an EU project called AFRESH that aims to promote healthy lifestyles through food innovation.

1. Ourbiolab
Slide presentation

2. Ourbiolab
Our Ourense
bio biotechnology
lab laboratory

3. Index
• Introduction
• Research lines
• Available Technologies
• Current European Projects
• European Projects done
• Networks

4. Ourbiolab
Ourbiolab is a multitask team formed by qualified
researchers in Pharmacy, Chemistry, Food Technology,
Biology and Chemical and Agricultural Engieneering.
Ourbiolab focus its activity in the development of
processes with biotechnological basis for use in the
food and environmental fields.

5. Ourbiolab
Staff
Full Professor Lorenzo Pastrana Castro
Professor María Luisa Rúa Rodriguez
Senior lecturer Nelson Pérez Guerra
Senior Lecturer Ana Torrado Agrasar
Lecturer Pablo Fuciños González

6. Research lines:
Production and application of probiotics lactic acid bacteria and
bacteriocins
•Aplication in animal feed
•Aplication in active packaging.
Applying nanoscience to the food industry
Production, purification, characterization and application of
microbial enzymes of nourishing and enviromental interest.
•Production of thermostable lipolytic enzymes
•Optimization of amylase production

7. Research lines:
Development and improvement of new food
•Obtaining of alcholic beverage from fruit of the forest by
distillation of its ferments
Exploitation and valorisation of residual materials and by-products
from food industry .
•Use of liquid wastes on the canned food industry and of milk
whey
•Hydrolyzed whey proteins containing high levels of bioactive
peptides

8. Research lines:
Production and application of probiotics lactic acid bacteria and
bacteriocins
Our interest have focused on adding value to food industry wastes
producing bacteriocins. We have modeled conditions to optimize the
production of bacteriocins and acid lactic bacteria. We were able to
produce bacteriocins optimally, then we decided to find innovative
applications in different areas of food technology.

9. Production and application of probiotics lactic acid bacteria and
bacteriocins
Aplication in animal feed.
We´ve chosen researching on the use of probiotics in animal feed to
improve production instead of antibiotic supplements, due to their
potential to reduce enteric disease in poultry and piglet.

10. Production and application of probiotics lactic acid bacteria and
bacteriocins
Aplication in animal feed.
Broilers receiving the probiotic Lactobacillus were considered the
most efficient at converting feed into live weight.
Body Weight Gain (g per Feed Intake (g per Feed Conversion Efficiency
Treatment chicken) chicken) (g of FI/g of BWG)
Control 1377±82 2909±154 2 . 1 1 ± 0 . 1 0 ab
CECT 4043 1388±42 2802±34 2 . 0 2 ± 0 . 0 5b
CECT 539 1364±46 2812±56 2 . 0 6 ± 0 . 0 7 ab
Avilamycin 1319±87 2872±33 2 . 1 8 ± 0 . 1 2a
Effects of Feeding of Two Potentially Probiotic Preparations from Lactic Acid Bacteria on the Performance and Faecal
Microflora of Broiler Chickens. Fajardo, P., Pastrana, L., Méndez J., Rodríguez, I., Fuciños, C. and Guerra, N.P. The
Scientific World Journal Volume 2012, 2012, Article number 562635

11. Production and application of probiotics lactic acid bacteria and bacteriocins
Aplication in animal feed.
These results suggest that the lactic acid bacteria used in
this study could be used as suitable strains for widespread
use in the pig industry.
Production of four potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria and their evaluation as feed additives for weaned
piglets. Guerra, N.P., Fajardo,P., Méndez,J. ,Cachaldora, P., Pastrana, L. Animal Feed Science and Technology
Volume 134, Issues 1–2, 1 March 2007, Pages 89–107

12. Production and application of probiotics lactic acid bacteria
and bacteriocins
Aplication in active packaging.
In recent years, we have focused on the prevention of
initial adhesion of microbial contaminants using active
packaging.

13. Production and application of probiotics lactic acid bacteria and
bacteriocins
Aplication in active packaging.
The developed bioactive cellophane
reduced significantly the growth of the
total aerobic bacteria (by 1,5 log units)
through 12 days of storage at 4°C.
Bioactive cellophane packaging could
be used for controlling the microbial
growth in chopped meat.
Development of a bioactive packaging cellophane using Nisaplin® as biopreservative agent
Guerra, N.P. , Macías, C.L., Agrasar, A.T. , Castro, L.P. Letters in Applied Microbiology Volume 40, Issue
2, pages 106–110, February 2005

14. Production and application of probiotics lactic acid bacteria and bacteriocins
Aplication in active packaging.
This study demonstrated that chitosan-
based coating/films can be used as release
system containing natamycin to create an
additional hurdle for moulds/yeasts in
cheese thus contributing to extend its
shelf-life.
Inhibition of A. niger growth with chitosan-natamycin coating after
incubation at 25 °C during 7 days. Uncoated cheese (a) and cheese
coated with chitosan containing natamycin at 0.12 mg mL−1 (b),
0.25 mg mL−1 (C) and 0.50 mg mL−1 (D).
Evaluation of a chitosan-based edible film as carrier of natamycin to improve the storability of Saloio
cheese. Fajardo, P., Martins, J.T., Fuciños, C., Pastrana, L., Teixeira, J.A., Vicente, A.A. Journal of Food
Engineering Volume 101, Issue 4, December 2010, Pages 349–356

15. Research line:
Applying nanoscience to the food industry
We´ve continued that research line but we decide applying
nanoparticles to encapsulate functional ingredients.
Nanoparticles could perform different roles, such as protecting
the functional ingredient against degradation during food
processing, storing and controlling its release as in active
packaging.
In our experience, developing active packages with controlled
delivery systems will be a promising alternative. Particularly if
natamycin (pimaricin) is released as a response to particular
triggers.

16. Applying nanoscience to the food industry
Aplication in active packaging.
The nanohydrogel delivery system
could impede the degradation of
pimaricin
The inhibitory effect of the
antifungal on yeast growth is more
pronounced when it is added
included into the nanohydrogel to
the food, especially in an acidic
environment.
Scheme of pimaricin incorporation into poly
(N-isopropylacrylamide) nanohydrogels and
release through the dialysis bag in distilled
water.
Use of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Nanohydrogels for the Controlled Release of Pimaricin in Active
Packaging. C. Fuciños, N.P. Guerra, J.M. Teijón, L.M. Pastrana, M.L. Rúa, I. Katime. Journal of Food
Science Volume 77, Issue 7, pages N21–N28, July 2012

17. Research line:
Production, purification, characterization and application of
microbial enzymes of nourishing and enviromental interest.
Other research line is to search lipolytic enzymes from thermophilic
microorganisms, these enzymes represent excellent candidates for
the development on industrial biocatalytic processes.
Besides, we study the optimization of a simultaneous
liquefaction−saccharification process of starch using mixtures of
thermostable α-amylase and glucoamylase
These research line are strongly related to our local resources. On the
one hand we add value to our thermal spring waters, on the other
hand we optimize methods to develop new food products from
chestnut and fruits of the forest, and from byproducts .

18. Production, purification, characterization and application of microbial
enzymes of nourishing and enviromental interest.
Production of thermostable lipolytic enzymes
High levels of lipolytic activity were obtained when
mineral water from hot springs was employed
Cell growth and total lipolytic activity in shake flask
cultures of T. aquaticus YT1 in T medium (filled circle)
and Tburgas spring water medium (open circle) carried
out at 80 °C, 100 rpm and initial pH of
7.5. Symbols represent the experimental data and solid
lines the fitting to a logistic model
Thermostable lipolytic enzymes production in batch and continuous cultures of Thermus
thermophilus HB27. Domínguez, A., Deive F.J., Pastrana, L., Rúa, M.L., Longo M.A. and Sanroman M.A.
Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering Volume33 Pag 347-354, March 2010

19. Production, purification, characterization and application of microbial
enzymes of nourishing and enviromental interest.
Optimization of amylase production
Synthesis of amylase by Aspergillus
niger strain UO-01 under solid-state
fermentation with sugarcane
bagasse was optimized by using
response surface methodology and
empirical modelling
Response surface showing the effect of
temperature (T) and pH on TAA production
by A. niger UO-01 in SSF. Variables T and pH are
in coded values
Optimization of amylase production by Aspergillus niger in solid-state fermentation using sugarcane
bagasse as solid support material. Rosés R.P., Guerra N.P.. World Journal of Microbiology and
Biotechnology, Volume25 Pag. 1929-1939, 2009

20. Research line:
Development and improvement of new food
Our research group are bound to the local area, the socio
economic status of the community is of vital importance to us.
A possible alternative to increase farmer income would be the
use of some fruits of the forest grown in Galicia as substrates for
producing high-added-value products, such as fruit-based spirits
obtained by fermentation and later distillation of the fermented
fruits

21. Development and improvement of new food
Obtaining of alcholic beverage from fruit of the forest by distillation of
its ferments
The results obtained
showed the feasibility for
obtaining distillates from
fermented black mulberry
and black currant, which
have their own distinctive
characteristics
Kinetics of the solid-state fermentation of
nonthermally treated black currant pulp
inoculated with S. cerevisiae IFI83. Time courses
of ethanol (Et), glycerol (Glyc), and reducing
sugars (RS) are expressed in percent (g/100 g of
fermentation medium).
Production and characterization of distilled alcoholic beverages obtained by solid-state fermentation
of black mulberry (morus nigra l.) and black currant (Ribes nigrum L.). González E.A., Torrado Agrasar
A., Pastrana Castro L.M., Fernández I.O., Guerra N.P. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume58 Pag.2529-2535, February 2010

22. Development and improvement of new food
Obtaining of alcholic beverage from chesnut by distillation of its
ferments

23. Research line:
Exploitation and valorization of residual materials and by-
products from food industry.
These whole of research lines had just begun from a first one, let´s
exploit and valorize waste materials and by products from food industry.
It seems more adequate to use raw materials like some wastes from the
food industry as a basis of the culture media, we use milk whey and
mussel processing wastes among others
Lately whey ingredients include hydrolyzed whey proteins containing
high levels of bioactive peptides with antihypertensive properties that
can be used to increase the functional value of special foods. We
hydrolyzing whey proteins with different proteases with the aim of
modeling the procedure that allows accurate quantification of the
antihypertensive properties.

24. Exploitation and valorisation of residual materials and by-products from
food industry .
Use of liquid wastes on the canned food industry and of milk whey
The whey media without supplementation are capable of promoting the growth
and bacteriocin production by the two producing-strains
Growth kinetics of Lc 1.04 (□, ■) and Pc 1.02 (○, •) on
diluted whey (open symbols) and concentrated whey
(closed symbols). X: biomass; C: total sugars; BT:
bacteriocin; Pr: protein; P: total phosphorous. Mean of
three analytical replications.
Nutritional factors affecting the production of two
bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria on whey
Guerra, N.P., Rúa, M.L., Pastrana, L. International
Journal of Food Microbiology Volume 70, Issue 3, 8
November 2001, Pages 267–281

25. Exploitation and valorisation of residual materials and by-products from food
industry .
Use of liquid wastes on the canned food industry and of milk whey
The developed models for biomass and pediocin production by P.
acidilactici NRRL B-5627 can be used to design feeding strategies
and develop a control-system for fed-batch pediocin fermentation.
Experimental data (symbols) of biomass (left part)
and pediocin (right part) production by Pediococcus
acidilacticiNRRL B-5627 on MPW (fed-batch
fermentation II). The curves drawn through the
biomass data were obtained according to the
models 21 (A) and 22 (B). The curves drawn through
the pediocin data were obtained according to the
models 24 (dashed lines) and 26 (solid line)
Modelling the fed-batch production of pediocin using mussel processing wastes
Guerra, N.P., Torrado, A. Macías, C.L., Pastrana, L. Process Biochemistry Volume 40, Issues 3–4, March
2005, Pages 1071–1083

26. Exploitation and valorisation of residual materials and by-products from food
industry .
Hydrolyzed whey proteins containing high levels of bioactive peptides
The results obtained indicated that the
peptide mixture derived from the neutrase
hydrolysis exhibited strong ACE inhibition
activity. The main active peptides were short,
with molecular masses below 1 kDa (IC 50 =
40.37 ± 2.66 μg/mL) and represent 38% of the
initial protein content in the hydrolysate.
Modeling the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme
Inhibitory Activity of Peptide Mixtures Obtained from
Cheese Whey Hydrolysates Using Concentration–
Response Curves. Estevez, N. Fuciños, P., Sobrosa, C.,
Pastrana, L. Pérez, N, and Rúa, M.L

27. Available Technologies
Our extensive database of technologies is available for new
product development opportunities that will strengthen your
strategic portfolio.
• Analytic services
•Chemical composition analysis of food raw materials and
finished products
•Microbiological analysis of food raw materials and finished
products
•Identification of microbial species (PCR-DGGE)
•Bioassays of antibacterial activity
•Purification and characterization of proteins
•Bioprocess modeling from bench to large scale technology

28. Available Technologies
•Fermentation process scale-up
•Pilot batches production
•Expression systems improvements for recombinant
protein expression
•Expression studies using different host producer
•Selection of high producer clones
•Re-engineering of existing fermentation processes

29. Current European Projects
AFRESH
“AFRESH" is an EU project that aims at looking for innovations for a
healthy lifestyle. We are in the food pillar of the project, belonging to a
Regional Consortium. The "afresh" project is supported by the Seventh
Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development
(FP7) in the European Union.
•Stuttgart Region Economic Development corporation
•Universiteit GENT
•Associciation Agropolis
•Liverpool John Moores University
•Stichting Catholieke University
•Warsaw University of Life Sciences
•Innova Eszak
•Ptgal

30. Current European Projects
ENGIHR
The European Network for Gastrointestinal Health Research (ENGIHR) is
an European Science Foundation Research Networking Programme (RNP)
which promotes interactions between researchers interested in gut
health research in Europe.
The Network has a multidisciplinary nature, encompassing food
manufacturers, food scientists, nutritionists, microbiologists, and
clinicians.

31. Current European Projects
NANOPACKSAFER (NANO-engineered PACKaging systems for improving
quality, SAFEty and health characteristics of foods.)
Develop nanotechnology-based food protection strategies by providing
active packaging systems (through nanoengineered edible coatings, non-
edible films and/or nanoparticles) which will proactively act to maintain
or even to increase food quality, safety and health impact of foods from
production to consumption.
•Facultade de Ciencias de Ourense, Universidade de Vigo
•IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for
Biological Engineering
•Centro de Física da Universidade do Minho (CFUM)
•Universidade de Aveiro, Dept, Química
•Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Facultad de Medicina.
Depto Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III
•Novel Materials and Nanotechnology. IATA-CSIC
•Universidad del Pais Vasco (UPV/EHU)

32. European Projects
VALNATURA
VALNATURA is an ALFA project for the mobility of MSc and PhD students
in Biotechnology/Food Technology between Europe and Latin America.
•Universidade do Minho
•Universidade de Vigo
•University College Cork
•Universidade Federal Ceará
•Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
•Universidad Nacional de Rosario
•Instituto Superior Politécnico “José A. Echevarria”
•Universidade Autonoma de Coahuilla

33. Networks
Ptgal
Galician Agri-Food Technology Platform
Real Network
•Universidad de Trás-os-Montes y Alto Douro
•Universidad de Minho
•Universidade Católica Portuguesa
•Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo
•NERVIR – Associação Empresarial
•Universidad de Vigo
•Universidad de Santiago de Compostela
•Centro Tecnolóxico da Carne
•Xunta de Galicia
•ANFACO-CECOPESCA
Extremophile microorganisms national network

34. Networks
Novel-Probio
•Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
•Facultad de Ciencias - Campus de Ourense- Universidad de Vigo
•Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade de Coimbra
•Facultad de Química Farmacéutica University of Antioquia, Colombia
•Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaiso.
•Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos CONICET, Argentina
•Escola Superior de Biotecnologia (ESB) Universidade Católica Portuguesa
•Departmento de Ciencias del Medio Natural Universidad Pública de
Navarra
•Instituto de Lactología Industrial Universidad Nacional del Litoral,
Argentina
•Unidad Académica de Física, Zacatecas, Mexico
•Centro de Estudios Biotecnológicos (Cebiot) Universidad Politécnica de
Nicaragua