Marbled crayfish as bioreactors for the sustainable production of nutritional protein and biodegradable plastics

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, freshwater crayfish are a promising and emerging food resource with a particularly low carbon dioxide footprint. We have shown that marbled crayfish are highly suited for the production of nutritional protein and for the extraction of chitin-based biopolymers, which provide the raw material for high-quality biodegradable plastics. The commercialization of marbled crayfish thus provides an opportunity to address major societal challenges, including sustainable food production and the reduction of plastic waste pollution. We are now developing environmentally safe protocols for a sustainable aquaculture and biorefinery of the animals.