From blue crab to green chitin A sustainable extraction method using bacterial fermentation

In light of the current problem caused by the invasion of the alien species known as "Blue Crab", which is causing damage to the fishing industry for millions of euro. Our research aims to find and study a sustainable method to valorize the shell of the crab. The aim is to extract valuable raw materials from it, which can be useful for various economical sectors, while tackling the environmental problem in the most sustainable way possible. Chitin and chitosan have numerous application areas: such as agriculture, the food industry, the biomedical industry, cosmetics and many others. Even if this research aims to investigate the extraction of raw materials contained in the shell of blue crabs, there are also many animals with an exoskeleton rich in chitin and raw materials. While the majority of global chitin producers use highly polluting chemical processes; with this research we are looking for a more sustainable route. We then experimented with a different method of extraction, utilizing non-hazardous bacterial strains. The shells of blue crab were processed with several bacterial fermentation, allowing us to obtain samples of extremely pure chitin with chemical characteristics similar to the industrial standard.