Location	Funding	Institution	Principal Investigator(s)
Hawaii	$99,341	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Nan Jiang, PhD, Zhi-Yan (Rock) Du, PhD, Zhiyue Wang, PhD

Overall Goal
The overarching objective of this project is to establish a scientifically validated, industry-integrated framework for the sustainable valorization of seaweed processing waste in Hawaiʻi through the recovery of MAAs. The proposed work is grounded in circular bioeconomy principles and aims to provide scalable, modular, and non-disruptive solutions that can be adopted by local seaweed producers to transform postharvest residues into new sources of economic and ecological value. The project will generate new biochemical data, pilot extraction technologies, and produce transferable protocols that support industry-wide adoption, product diversification, and waste minimization.

Objectives
1. Characterize the biochemical potential of Hawaiian seaweed processing waste streams.
2. Develop and optimize modular extraction technologies for MAAs
3. Demonstrate bioprocess scalability and integration into industry operations
4. Evaluate economic feasibility and environmental impact.
5. Disseminate the technology and build regional capacity through targeted outreach.