Final Report Summary - AGRO-AMF-AOX (A functional marker of commercial AMF isolates for sustainable agriculture) The company (INOQ) produces arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) for application in sustainable agriculture. Commercial AMF application can significantly improve the stability of plant production. The importance of a symbiosis between AMF and plants in the rhizosphere is increasingly recognized in plant production for healthy food and feed, but also for energy and industrial plants and the maintenance of soil structures. The market for AMF products is steadily growing and the involved SME shows a good standing in this commercial area. The project aims to strengthen the relationship between the SME INOQ from Germany and the established 'EU Marie Curie Chair' of the project coordinator from Portugal that works on novel predictive phenotyping tools and on functional marker development. AMF demonstrate high genetic diversity, which can be an important reason for unstable product quality of AMF isolates. The project explores AOX gene variability in AMF inocula with the aim to mark functional integrity of AMF isolates. Research on the functionality of AMF products by targeted gene characterization is an innovative strategy to set new quality standards and to provide commercial advantage to a company. The project aims to advance current knowledge in fundamental and applied research at the same time. The alternative oxidase (AOX) gene family had been proposed by the Chair holder within the frame of COST870 as a promising candidate. This hypothesis-driven view got now strong support through the results achieved by this project. The widened team from Academia and industry developed and is publishing together novel perspectives for innovative functional marker development strategies. During project development, it became clear that tool development for measuring AMF functionality and efficiency of its application is most urgent and crucial for successful AMF selection and thus future application strategies. The new team together defined novel requirements for phenotyping tools to predict the effect of AMF treatments on plant growth performance. They published new concepts in a journal dedicated to new thinking in applied genomics (‘Briefings in Functional Genomics’). An innovative tool kit is proposed and under development by taking profit of knowledge gained before and during the project running by the partner from Academia.During the project, the two partners intensively exchanged competences, shared infrastructures and contacts, initiated together a COST Training School and grew together as a research team with an almost daily active, unique communication platform, which is characterized by high confidence. The company INOQ could widen its infrastructure for service and collaboration by establishing with help of Academia a new laboratory for molecular analysis. The partners have established plans for a longer lasting collaboration to adjust continuously the good standing of the company and improve the competitiveness of the research group. INOQ together with a seconded team member from Academia promoted an international workshop, where new opportunities at the company through in vitro culture AMF production were demonstrated. The new technology was established and presented by the responsible scientist who was recruited by the project at INOQ. The recruited scientist at the University of Évora strengthened the Chair’s capacities in advanced bioinformatics through training for the group and integrating the team's research in broader IT networks at the institution. After final evaluation of all produced data, the university team plans to organize in Évora in 2015/2016 an international meeting to present the new ideas, proposed tools and the overall results that were achieved under AGRO-AMF-AOX.INOQ won in 2014 a regional award for the company’s demonstrated power towards innovation. Together both partners plan to apply for new ambitious projects in up-coming European Calls under Horizon 2020.First steps are taken by the university team, to explore foundation of a novel spin-off company in Portugal. The idea is to integrate both group leaders as members of a consulting Consortium.Contacts:Birgit Arnholdt-Schmitt (Coordinator) (Chair holder - University of Évora) - www.eu_chair.uevora.ptCarolin Schneider (CEO - SME partner INOQ GmbH) - www.inoq.de
