Some specific metabolites produced by Haslea species are potentially of great interest for industrial applications. For instance, few natural blue colourants are available for use in cosmetics or in the food industry. Marennine will thus be tested regarding colorimetry, stability as a function of pH, light and temperature, after incorporation within an emulsion for use as a colourant.
Another important objective of this work-package is to elucidate key terpenoid-synthesizing pathways and enzymes in Haslea. The chemical diversity of isoprenoids produced by different Haslea strains will be investigated and the influence of environmental factors and geographic distribution in the chemical composition and production levels will be studied.
