Ocean Products for Human Health

Ocean TuniCell is a Bergen-based firm specialising in producing medical-grade biomaterials from marine organisms called tunicates. These products are produced for the biomedical industry with numerous uses in regenerative medicine and bioengineering.

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Using over 20 years of research, Ocean TuniCell has created a novel solution and cultivated an entirely new value chain around it. This includes a 100-ton tunicate aquaculture farm and state-of-the-art production and laboratory facilities. 

At the core of the firm’s business is the TUNICELL product line. This is a high-quality, marine nanocellulose biomaterial for biomedical applications.

“TUNICELL can be used as a structural component in organ and tissue engineering. In the future, this biomaterial will contribute to repairing damaged and diseased organs and tissues to give people a longer and healthier life”, said Christofer Troedsson, CEO of Ocean TuniCell.

Bergen-based benefits

For Ocean TuniCell, being based in Bergen offers a number of advantages.

Learn more about Aquaculture

Chief among them is the ability to easily source the tunicates, which are found off the coast of Øygarden in Greater Bergen.

Additionally, being close to the region’s academic and research community has been important.

“Bergen has a community with high expertise in marine innovations”, said Troedsson. “This is an important network as we are growing and developing our business”. This network includes the University of Bergen – Norway’s largest marine university – and NORCE – the Bergen-based independent research institute.

From tunicate to TUNICELL

The TUNICELL biomaterial is extracted from the tunicate Ciona intestinalis, a low-trophic marine organism. This species is well known in the scientific community as a model organism in evolutionary-developmental biology.

Tunicates are the only animal group that can naturally produce cellulose. This cellulose is processed and refined, using state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities, into ultrapure medical-grade cellulose nanofibrils – TUNICELL.

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Advantages of TUNICELL

As a bioengineering scaffold in the biomedical market, TUNICELL offers several key advantages. The material has an extended dynamic range of mechanical strengths, it is ultrapure, biocompatible, and can be produced at a high capacity.

Most notably, TUNICELL fibers resemble the physical dimensions of collagen, a protein naturally found in human tissues. However, TUNICELL has a “biocompatible glucose polymer backbone that provides an ideal neutral structure to which specific signals or drugs can be added for desired medical outcomes”.

This means that TUNICELL can achieve a number of key effects, such as wound healing, tissue reconstruction, cartilage and bone growth, and more.

Recognising the value

Despite being a relatively young firm, Ocean TuniCell has received significant recognition from the research community.

The TUNICELL material has been at the centre of several research publications and case studies involving a number of institutions, such as the University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the Chalmers University of Technology. These studies showed that TUNICELL performed well in key medical applications, including tissue-engineered cartilage and soft tissue reconstruction.

Last year, Ocean TuniCell was awarded the 2022 “Etablererpris” (Establishment Award) by the Bergen City Council. This annual award is given to firms that have contributed to enriching Bergen’s business community and society as a whole. Previous winners include Its Learning, WiSub AS, and Bergen Carbon Solutions.

New functions and markets

Every year, thousands of patients wait on transplant lists for viable organs, with many dying before a compatible organ becomes available. A lack of donors and limited tissue-matched organs adds to this difficult situation. Through their solutions, Ocean TuniCell believes they can act as a central platform in the repair and reconstruction of organs in the future.

Ocean TuniCell has experienced significant growth in a short time with a presence in international markets. Between 2021-2022, their annual turnover grew from NOK 1 million to NOK 22 million. TUNICELL shows strong promise in biomedical applications with markets including cell therapy, bioprinting, 3D cell culture, biocoating, drug delivery and reconstructive tissue engineering. All of these are expected to grow into multibillion-dollar industries before 2030.

Moving forward

With the new year underway, Ocean TuniCell intends to continue its rapid growth. With their line of products gaining recognition, and additional products being developed, they will continue expanding into new international markets.

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