Research

Research & Development:

Totally Seaweed provides R&D consultations to help seaweed companies accelerate innovation, and improve production performance through rigorous, science-driven methods.

Optimization trials and design: In order to reduce production costs, producers need to design and execute trials to improve nutrient recipes, determine flow requirements, LED lighting design, optimal density determination, and assess responses to environmental parameters. Well designed optimization trails accelerate the path from experimental conditions to predictable commercial performance.
Cultivar domestication from wild collection: Domestication of wild collected individuals has a higher probability of success when guided by experience. The domestication process requires meticulous attention to detail and is essential in establishing proprietary highly productive cultivars with desirable traits, and for establishing reliable starter stock for commercial-scale cultivation. Successful domestication reduces variability, improves resilience, and unlocks superior growth and product characteristics without the annual royalty costs associated with growing someone else's cultivar.

Cultivar assessment and comparisons (Strain selection): Not all cultivars perform equally. Cultivars must be evaluated side-by-side under controlled conditions to compare productivity, morphology, tissue content of target compounds, optimal conditions for light, nutrients, and temperature, and contamination resistance. This evidence-based approach ensures that only the best-performing cultivars are advanced into production.

Research & Development:

Bioactive | Target Compound enhancement in culture: Many species can be cultivated under controlled conditions to enhance specific biochemical pathways. Totally Seaweed can design trials targeted at increasing concentrations of pigments, proteins (peptides, amino acids), polysaccharides, nutraceutical or cosmeceutical compounds, and chelated mineral content. This can enable companies to differentiate products and increase value.
Nutrient requirements: Seasonal and species-specific nutrient requirements must be understood in order to optimize productivity without the enhancement of epiphytic overgrowth. Nutrient requirements (N, P, Fe, Zn, Mn & others) must all be assessed, and nutrient source and delivery schedule must also be determined. Proper nutrient management improves yield, quality, and consistency.
Experimental design: The development of rigorous, commercially relevant experimental designs that produce clear recommendations are essential for all producers. Good design reduces wasted funds, time, materials, and effort.
Cost effective experimental apparatus and analyses: R&D doesn’t need to be expensive. Low-cost setups can be designed, built and reused that are tailored to budget and objectives.
Data mining and evaluation: The analysis of historical existing datasets (production logs, environmental data, growth trials, nutrient records) to reveal trends can often lead to powerful insights, diagnose issues, and identify opportunities. Clear data interpretation leads directly to actionable improvements in cultivation performance.