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Press · February 20, 2026

ZELDA: data-driven surfactant discovery for smart plant protection

In the CBE JU project ZELDA, lignocellulosic side-streams become natural plant-protection molecules, including data-driven surfactant development.

ZELDA ("Zero-waste Lignocellulose-Derived biorefinery products for smArt plant protection") is a Circular Bio-based Europe (CBE JU) project that converts agricultural and lignocellulosic side-streams into natural molecules that strengthen plant defences, including lignin-derived compounds with antimicrobial action.

The work includes data-driven surfactant identification and novel surfactant development in the Barta group at the University of Graz, the same scientific base that underpins PureSurf's platform and its antimicrobial family.

ZELDA underlines the breadth of applications opening up for bio-based, lignocellulose-derived chemistry, from cleaning and personal care to agriculture.

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Supported by

  • Supported by European Innovation Council
  • Supported by European Research Council
  • aws Austria Wirtschaftsservice
  • Research partner University of Graz
  • Research partner University of Groningen
  • Research partner TU Graz
  • Research partner Medical University of Graz
  • Supported by Creative Destruction Lab
  • Supported by chemstars.nrw
  • Supported by IECT Hermann Hauser
  • Supported by Startup-uni.at
  • Supported by BMK, Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action
  • Supported by Science Park Graz
Supported by European Innovation Councilaws Austria Wirtschaftsservice

Spin-off from an EIC Transition (grant agreement #101058142). Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council. The PureSurf FlexCo has received aws PreSeed funding from BMIMI.