Linards Klavins

ChromaQuest has been featured in Fi Global Insights, highlighting our research into sustainable natural food colours derived from underutilised biomass and by-products. The article, “From conifer to chokeberry: Latvian scientists unlock new natural colours,” explores how our team at the University of Latvia is investigating new sources of natural pigments, including conifer needles, berry processing residues, marigold petals, and plant materials from invasive species. The feature highlights...

On 25 September 2026, the ChromaQuest project participated in European Researchers’ Night, held across Latvia under the theme “Discover the Nature of Science!” The event brought together researchers and the public through interactive experiments, creative workshops, and hands-on activities designed to make science accessible and engaging for everyone. As part of the event, the Department of Environmental Science at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Latvia invited...

Logging in the boreal and hemiboreal forests of northern Europe generates large volumes of spruce and pine residue each year, much of which remains unused. Conifer needles within this residue are a rich source of chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for the green colour of plants and a compound of growing interest to the food industry as a natural alternative to synthetic dyes. A study by Alise Zommere and Linards Klavins at the National Centre of Forest and Water Research (University of...