Project title: Unlocking Bioactivity of Forest Plants Associated Mycobiome as Sources of Novel Carotenoids and other BioPigments: Intensifying their Potential using Nanotechnology (BioExplor)
Duration: 1.11.2022 - 31.10.2024
Project Budget: 1 117 468 PLN
Budget for UPWr: 1 117 468 PLN
Project Coordinator: Dr El Sayed Ramadan El Sayed Ali
Abstract:
The BioExplor project is led by Dr El Sayed Ali as part of the POLONEZ BIS programme, which aims to enable international researchers to carry out a research and training project together with a Polish academic institution. Dr El Sayed became an employee of UPWr (a visiting professor) in November 2022, and his closest collaborators are Prof. Filip Boratyński, the Mentor, and a team composed mainly of early-stage researchers from the Department of Food Chemistry and Biocatalysis.
The idea of the BioExplor project stems from the market needs and consumers who are increasingly interested in natural pigments. However, the field faces barriers such as the high cost of extraction, which opens up opportunities for scientists to develop safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives to the commonly used synthetic pigments.
The project introduces an innovative attempt to discover the untapped potential of endophytic fungi of some plant species growing in the forests of Poland. These fungi are a lucrative source of many bioactive compounds, including pigments. The tasks in the project have been organized into the following work packages:
- WP1 Isolation, identification and screening for new carotenoid(s) and other biopigment(s)-producing strains.
- WP2 Strain improvement and optimization of fermentation conditions of the selected carotenoid(s) and other biopigment(s).
- WP3 Nano-conjugation of the selected carotenoid(s) and biopigment(s) with metal nanoparticles.
- WP4 Bio-prospecting for new bioactive molecules with antimicrobial activities.
The project also includes a number of study visits e.g. at the Instituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare in Milan, during which Dr El Sayed will expand his competencies in biocatalysis and bioconversion techniques for plant waste feedstock.
The BioExplor project No. 2021/43/P/NZ9/02241 is co-funded by the National Science Centre and the European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 945339.
