Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MARBLES (Marine Biodiversity as Sustainable Resource of Disease-Suppressive Microbes and Bioprotectants for Aquaculture and Crop Diseases)
Reporting period: 2022-11-01 to 2024-04-30
MARBLES addresses the urgent need for new treatment methods for aquaculture and crop diseases by exploring and exploiting the microbiomes of natural marine ecosystems. MARBLES will identify and exploit both novel bioactive compounds and microbial consortia that act as bioprotectants against aquaculture and crop diseases, by exploiting the microbiomes of natural marine ecosystems. Bio protection will be validated following aquaculture and greenhouse trials, taking cognizance of relevant biosafety requirements. Production of prototype small molecule and microbial consortia formulations will be optimized and will be available for subsequent sustainable commercial exploitation post-project.
The overall aim of MARBLES is to harness the unexplored potential of marine microorganisms as producers of novel antimicrobial agents and as bioprotectants in aqua- and agriculture, using an integrative, ecology-based strategy for bioprospecting.
The overall aim of MARBLES is to harness the unexplored potential of marine microorganisms as producers of novel antimicrobial agents and as bioprotectants in aqua- and agriculture, using an integrative, ecology-based strategy for bioprospecting.
In the first stage of the project, MARBLES focused on obtaining marine samples (fish, algae, marine plants and sponges)and testing bacterial isolates. Identification of the most promising ecosystems for natural product discovery in sponges has been performed by linking sponge biodiversity patterns to both overall microbial diversity and biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) diversity in a variety of marine environments
The microbial taxonomic biodiversity from has been characterized by means of metagenomic analysis, 16S sequencing of the microbiomes as well as isolating the bacteria and testing different culture conditions which serves as the basis to create the strain collections that became the building blocks of the project.
Panels of pathogens were selected to test microbiomes, microbial strains and bioactive compounds. Bioactive strains have been identified, their genomes sequenced and the natural product BGCs that could potentially be involved in the antagonism have been identified. A platform to screen simultaneously the chemical diversity in an extract together with its bioactivity is been used to pinpoint to possible novel bioactive compounds.
During the second stage of the project the knowledge obtained at the start of the project has been developed further. The test of different culture conditions has allowed the selection and isolation of bioactive strains that are being funneled into the different tasks and work packages. Mimicking the host/environmental conditions as well as microbe-microbe interactions is also used to select isolates and consortia as well as to identify elicitors that activate cryptic Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs). The microbial library generation, the libraries of extracts and the high throughput screening (HTS) against panels of human, plant and fish pathogens has generated a lot of data. Based on bioactivity, metabolomic, chemical and genetic information, potential candidates are being selected for scale up, purification and characterization. All these datasets are being stored in a centralized database.
Further functional analysis of microbiomes and the derived MAGs, including the description of symbioses related genes are ongoing. The first bacterial consortia isolated from sponges, fishes and marine plants have been selected and currently tested for protection against fish, plant and human pathogens. Meta transcriptomics was performed originally from sponges but a more sustainable approach is ongoing using microalgae to identify differentially expressed genes with and without disease suppressive microbial consortia.
MARBLES continues to communicate news, results and updates through the MARBLES website, social media and e-newsletters. MARBLES participation with the AIMS cluster (projects funded under the same FNR-11-2020 call) continued with an annual meeting and a workshop about EU funded projects during the international conference on marine natural products ECMNP-MaNaPro 2023.
MARBLES continues its commitment to comply with European regulations and to ensure the sustainable and environmental use of the marine resources as well as the use of any future natural products discovered. MARBLES has actively participated in several BBNJ events sessions such as the (Edinburgh, October 2023; Nice, April 2024), a workshop during the Marine Natural products Gordon Research conference in March 2024 and holds regular meetings with the Advisory Panel of Policy and Legal Experts (APPLE) and the Panel of Industry Experts (PIE).
The microbial taxonomic biodiversity from has been characterized by means of metagenomic analysis, 16S sequencing of the microbiomes as well as isolating the bacteria and testing different culture conditions which serves as the basis to create the strain collections that became the building blocks of the project.
Panels of pathogens were selected to test microbiomes, microbial strains and bioactive compounds. Bioactive strains have been identified, their genomes sequenced and the natural product BGCs that could potentially be involved in the antagonism have been identified. A platform to screen simultaneously the chemical diversity in an extract together with its bioactivity is been used to pinpoint to possible novel bioactive compounds.
During the second stage of the project the knowledge obtained at the start of the project has been developed further. The test of different culture conditions has allowed the selection and isolation of bioactive strains that are being funneled into the different tasks and work packages. Mimicking the host/environmental conditions as well as microbe-microbe interactions is also used to select isolates and consortia as well as to identify elicitors that activate cryptic Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs). The microbial library generation, the libraries of extracts and the high throughput screening (HTS) against panels of human, plant and fish pathogens has generated a lot of data. Based on bioactivity, metabolomic, chemical and genetic information, potential candidates are being selected for scale up, purification and characterization. All these datasets are being stored in a centralized database.
Further functional analysis of microbiomes and the derived MAGs, including the description of symbioses related genes are ongoing. The first bacterial consortia isolated from sponges, fishes and marine plants have been selected and currently tested for protection against fish, plant and human pathogens. Meta transcriptomics was performed originally from sponges but a more sustainable approach is ongoing using microalgae to identify differentially expressed genes with and without disease suppressive microbial consortia.
MARBLES continues to communicate news, results and updates through the MARBLES website, social media and e-newsletters. MARBLES participation with the AIMS cluster (projects funded under the same FNR-11-2020 call) continued with an annual meeting and a workshop about EU funded projects during the international conference on marine natural products ECMNP-MaNaPro 2023.
MARBLES continues its commitment to comply with European regulations and to ensure the sustainable and environmental use of the marine resources as well as the use of any future natural products discovered. MARBLES has actively participated in several BBNJ events sessions such as the (Edinburgh, October 2023; Nice, April 2024), a workshop during the Marine Natural products Gordon Research conference in March 2024 and holds regular meetings with the Advisory Panel of Policy and Legal Experts (APPLE) and the Panel of Industry Experts (PIE).
MARBLES makes use of existing as well as novel technologies to isolate, identify and deliver novel biocontrol agents for agriculture and aquaculture. MARBLES project aims to provide sustainable products such as microbiomes, microbial strains and pure compounds identified from the marine environments.
MARBLES is developing novel techniques and software that links (meta)genome data with LC-MS/MS data to prioritize natural products, based on bioactivity, chemical novelty and diversity. Another state-of-the-art technique being used is a screening platform that uses molecular networking, nanofractionation, MS/MS coupled with bioactivity assay to assess possible candidates that could lead to novel molecules with bioactivity, even in the tiniest of samples. An integration of the high throughput screening bioactivity, MS data and dereplication is used as basis for prioritization of bioactive candidates. Genome mining, heterologous expression and site directed mutagenesis have allowed the generation of a diversity of compound analogues with potential bioactivity.
The excellent dissemination and communication of the project continues, all the updates, news and results are shared through the website (marblesproject.eu) and a Twitter account (@MARBLES_EU). Public engagement continues well with the participation of MARBLES in several local and international events.
MARBLES is strongly committed to comply with European regulations and to keep a sustainable and environmental use of the marine resources as well as the possible future products. MARBLES has a strong public-private cooperation through its panel of industry experts who keep track of the project and attend the annual meetings. International policy impacts have started and a workshop was organized by MARBLES partners at the UN BBNJ IGC5 negotiations and we have met with the Advisory Panel of Policy and Legal Experts (APPLE).
MARBLES is developing novel techniques and software that links (meta)genome data with LC-MS/MS data to prioritize natural products, based on bioactivity, chemical novelty and diversity. Another state-of-the-art technique being used is a screening platform that uses molecular networking, nanofractionation, MS/MS coupled with bioactivity assay to assess possible candidates that could lead to novel molecules with bioactivity, even in the tiniest of samples. An integration of the high throughput screening bioactivity, MS data and dereplication is used as basis for prioritization of bioactive candidates. Genome mining, heterologous expression and site directed mutagenesis have allowed the generation of a diversity of compound analogues with potential bioactivity.
The excellent dissemination and communication of the project continues, all the updates, news and results are shared through the website (marblesproject.eu) and a Twitter account (@MARBLES_EU). Public engagement continues well with the participation of MARBLES in several local and international events.
MARBLES is strongly committed to comply with European regulations and to keep a sustainable and environmental use of the marine resources as well as the possible future products. MARBLES has a strong public-private cooperation through its panel of industry experts who keep track of the project and attend the annual meetings. International policy impacts have started and a workshop was organized by MARBLES partners at the UN BBNJ IGC5 negotiations and we have met with the Advisory Panel of Policy and Legal Experts (APPLE).