Brown seaweed
Kelp, Sargassum and other brown biomass.
Explore your brown seaweed ↗View typical enzymes ↓
Hundreds of high-activity enzymes targeting seaweed’s complex structure. Tailored blends for extraction, valorisation and biofuels, available in bulk.
Panels of high-activity enzymes, tailored to the different structural components of brown, red and green seaweed. We help you select the enzymes and blends for your process.
Kelp, Sargassum and other brown biomass.
Explore your brown seaweed ↗View typical enzymes ↓Gracilaria, Kappaphycus and other red biomass.
Explore your red seaweed ↗View typical enzymes ↓Ulva and other green marine biomass.
Explore your green seaweed ↗View typical enzymes ↓Enzyme selection and processing conditions are agreed after reviewing your feedstock and application.
Panels of hundreds of high-activity enzymes, designed to break down different components of seaweed’s complex structure.
We match enzymes to the structural components you want to process, then build a blend around your seaweed and the fractions you want to recover.
Target the structureSelect enzymes for specific components of your biomass.
Build the right blendCombine complementary activities around your process.
Focus on your outcomeExtraction, valorisation or conversion to biofuels.
Non-food grade · Supplied following consultation

We can produce all the enzyme types below, individually or in tailored blends. Discuss your specification with us. Custom production and bulk supply are available following consultation.
For kelp, Sargassum and other brown seaweeds. Match the enzymes to the species and the fraction you want to process.
| Enzyme / activity | What it targets | Typical processing role |
|---|---|---|
| Alginate lyase | Alginate | Cleaves alginate chains for depolymerisation, viscosity reduction and alginate-derived fractions. Endo- and exo-acting options serve different processing goals. |
| Laminarinase | Laminarin | Breaks down the β-1,3-glucan storage carbohydrate laminarin. Selected activities can support oligosaccharide or sugar release. |
| Fucoidanase | Fucoidan | Targets particular linkages in fucoidan to prepare smaller sulfated carbohydrate fractions. Selection must match the fucoidan structure. |
| Cellulase + β-glucosidase | Cellulosic components | Complementary activities for processing cellulose where present and converting suitable cellulose-derived fragments towards glucose. |
For agar-, carrageenan- or porphyran-containing red seaweeds. These are alternative targets found in different species, not one universal blend.
| Enzyme / activity | What it targets | Typical processing role |
|---|---|---|
| Agarase | Agar / agarose | For agar-containing species such as Gracilaria. α- and β-agarases cleave different linkages and produce different oligosaccharide profiles. |
| Carrageenase | Carrageenan | For carrageenan-containing biomass. κ-, ι- and λ-carrageenases are selected to match the relevant carrageenan type. |
| Porphyranase | Porphyran | Targets porphyran in relevant laver-type red seaweeds, including Porphyra / Pyropia biomass. |
| Complementary hydrolases | Residual carbohydrate fragments | Additional enzymes, such as neoagarobiose hydrolase, may be selected when further conversion of agar-derived fragments is needed. |
For Ulva and other green seaweeds. The right approach depends on the cell-wall composition and whether your aim is extraction or further breakdown.
| Enzyme / activity | What it targets | Typical processing role |
|---|---|---|
| Ulvan lyase | Ulvan | Depolymerises ulvan, a major cell-wall polysaccharide in Ulva, to support ulvan-derived fraction and oligosaccharide processing. |
| Cellulase | Cellulose | Processes cellulosic components of the wall. Can be considered for opening up biomass or supporting extraction while other fractions are retained. |
| β-Glucosidase | Suitable glucosides and short glucan fragments | Complements cellulase-based carbohydrate conversion, with activity selected for the fragments present in your process. |
| Specialist accessory enzymes | Specific side groups and linkages | Selected sulfatases and glycosidases can complement ulvan-processing cascades when deeper breakdown is the goal. The sequence and specificity matter. |
Proteases can be considered when protein hydrolysis is intended; amylases for starch-containing feedstocks; and xylanases or mannanases where the corresponding polysaccharides are present. These are feedstock-specific additions, not requirements for every seaweed.
If you want to recover an intact polymer, the enzyme blend should help release it while avoiding unwanted degradation of that target. If you want oligosaccharides or smaller products, the target polymer itself may be depolymerised. We help select the appropriate approach.
These papers describe enzyme–substrate relationships and processing examples. They do not represent performance data for our supplied preparations.
Whether you want to release a valuable fraction or explore conversion of the whole biomass, start with the outcome you need.
Explore enzyme-assisted release of target fractions and the processing steps needed to recover them.
RELEASE · SEPARATE · RECOVERExplore extraction enzymes ↗Develop routes to useful fractions, intermediates and materials from seaweed and processing side streams.
FRACTIONATE · DEVELOP · REPURPOSEExplore valorisation enzymes ↗Explore biomass breakdown and carbohydrate release as part of your fermentation or anaerobic digestion process.
BREAK DOWN · CONVERT · EVALUATEExplore biofuel enzymes ↗We draw on panels of hundreds of high-activity enzymes to target different parts of the seaweed structure. Enzymes and bespoke blends are selected around your species, process conditions and intended outcome, with bulk supply available after consultation.
Talk to us about your process ↗Seaweed species, fresh or dried material, pretreatment and the scale you have in mind.
Target fraction, viscosity change, carbohydrate release or your next processing step.
Discuss a tailored enzyme or blend, working conditions, evaluation and supply options.
Our non-food-grade seaweed enzymes and tailored blends are available in bulk, following consultation. Tell us your biomass, application and required quantity to discuss specification and a bulk supply quote.
For appropriate research and industrial processing applications. Not supplied for food or feed use.
Yes. We supply seaweed processing enzymes and tailored enzyme blends in bulk following consultation. Share your species, application, intended processing scale and required quantity so we can discuss a suitable specification and quote.
Yes. Enzymes and tailored blends are available following consultation. We discuss your application before confirming the specification, quantity, pricing and supply arrangements.
Yes. We offer tailored enzymes and enzyme blends for the main seaweed classes. The specific approach depends on the species, pretreatment, process conditions and target outcome.
Our current seaweed enzyme offering is non-food grade and is not supplied for food or feed use. Please discuss the intended application with us.
Share the species if known, whether your seaweed is fresh or dried, any pretreatment, your intended product, pH and temperature, and the amount you plan to process. If you are at an early stage, tell us what you know.
Typical choices include alginate lyase, laminarinase and fucoidanase for brown seaweed; agarases, carrageenases or porphyranases for relevant red species; and ulvan lyase with complementary cellulases and glycosidases for green seaweed. The required set depends on the species, composition and intended product. We can produce these enzyme types individually or as tailored blends, with bulk supply following consultation.