Periodic Reporting for period 3 - OXIPRO (Transition towards environment-friendly consumer products by co-creation of an oxidoreductase foundry)
Période du rapport: 2024-06-01 au 2025-05-31
An increasing number of European consumers are concerned about the state of the environment, particularly carbon emissions. Eco-conscious consumers care about the footprint of commodities that make up our day-to-day life, like household detergents, cosmetics, food and clothes, including the producing of these goods, and their use. Enzymes, which are biodegradable molecular tools, have shown the ability to reduce energy consumption and replace hazardous chemicals while enhancing the quality of end-products. The overall aim of OXIPRO has been to contribute to greener products by harnessing the power of enzymes, specifically oxidoreductases, using the most efficient computing and cutting-edge biotechnology. OXIPRO has targeted four key sectors that are top priorities for eco-conscious consumers: detergents, textiles, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals.
During the reporting period, OXIPRO achieved significant progress across scientific, technological, and societal dimensions. Engagement with over 350 stakeholders—more than triple the project’s original target—was maintained through more than ten co-creation activities, including roundtables, world cafés, panel discussions, ‘Meet-a-Scientist’ events, webinars, interviews, and bilateral meetings. These interactions have been instrumental in shaping the project’s innovation, policy, and societal relevance.
OXIPRO made a notable contribution to policy development through its leadership in the “Enzyme Cluster,” a collaboration among four FNR-16 sister projects. This initiative resulted in joint policy meetings, workshops, capacity-building activities, and the publication of four policy briefs aligning enzyme technologies with EU strategies.
The project’s computational platform was publicly launched, integrating multiple modules for in silico enzyme mining and engineering into a user-friendly workflow manager, Horus. Over time, more than 250 enzyme candidates were explored for reaction and process compatibility. Recently, the platform was optimized and promoted for public use.
Two high-throughput enzyme screening platforms—based on microfluidics and cell-free expression—were finalized and validated, achieving capacities exceeding 500 oxidoreductases per week. These platforms enabled the discovery of several novel enzymes and enzyme properties, resulting in eight scientific publications and two filed patents.
All targeted enzymes for OXIPRO’s four priority sectors (cosmetics, detergents, textiles, and nutraceuticals) were successfully expressed in industry-compatible systems. During this period, enzymes were produced via microbial fermentation at medium scale (15–70 L), and kinetic models were developed and validated for scale-up. Ultimately, this enabled the transfer of enzymes to application testing.
Proof-of-application experiments were conducted in all four innovation cases, testing enzymes under real-life conditions. These experiments provided critical insights into feasibility, sustainability, and scalability, supporting future industrial implementation. While data is still being processed, these application experiments have already led to two scientific publications and the prototyping of greener products.
Altogether, OXIPRO identified over fifteen Key Exploitable Results (KERs), with detailed exploitation and dissemination pathways. A dedicated IPR task force monitored new intellectual property developments, resulting in two patents and expressed interest from industry partners.
In line with its communication and dissemination strategy, OXIPRO launched multiple media platforms, produced videos and outreach materials, and published 13 open-access scientific articles and one book chapter. The Enzyme Cluster collaboration further amplified dissemination through 13 joint newsletters, four co-authored scientific publications, and shared capacity-building efforts.
OXIPRO made a notable contribution to policy development through its leadership in the “Enzyme Cluster,” a collaboration among four FNR-16 sister projects. This initiative resulted in joint policy meetings, workshops, capacity-building activities, and the publication of four policy briefs aligning enzyme technologies with EU strategies.
The project’s computational platform was publicly launched, integrating multiple modules for in silico enzyme mining and engineering into a user-friendly workflow manager, Horus. Over time, more than 250 enzyme candidates were explored for reaction and process compatibility. Recently, the platform was optimized and promoted for public use.
Two high-throughput enzyme screening platforms—based on microfluidics and cell-free expression—were finalized and validated, achieving capacities exceeding 500 oxidoreductases per week. These platforms enabled the discovery of several novel enzymes and enzyme properties, resulting in eight scientific publications and two filed patents.
All targeted enzymes for OXIPRO’s four priority sectors (cosmetics, detergents, textiles, and nutraceuticals) were successfully expressed in industry-compatible systems. During this period, enzymes were produced via microbial fermentation at medium scale (15–70 L), and kinetic models were developed and validated for scale-up. Ultimately, this enabled the transfer of enzymes to application testing.
Proof-of-application experiments were conducted in all four innovation cases, testing enzymes under real-life conditions. These experiments provided critical insights into feasibility, sustainability, and scalability, supporting future industrial implementation. While data is still being processed, these application experiments have already led to two scientific publications and the prototyping of greener products.
Altogether, OXIPRO identified over fifteen Key Exploitable Results (KERs), with detailed exploitation and dissemination pathways. A dedicated IPR task force monitored new intellectual property developments, resulting in two patents and expressed interest from industry partners.
In line with its communication and dissemination strategy, OXIPRO launched multiple media platforms, produced videos and outreach materials, and published 13 open-access scientific articles and one book chapter. The Enzyme Cluster collaboration further amplified dissemination through 13 joint newsletters, four co-authored scientific publications, and shared capacity-building efforts.
OXIPRO has significantly advanced the field of enzyme-based bioprocessing by developing sustainable and efficient production processes for consumer goods. The project adopted an integrated approach that spanned the entire value chain—from enzyme discovery, development, and production to scalable industrial applications. The computational platform developed within OXIPRO has propelled the generation of new enzyme variants designed for increased process compatibility. Wet lab screening capacity was enhanced through the validation of two medium-to-high throughput screening platforms. Altogether, these platform technologies accelerated the iterative process of discovering and validating new candidates in the lab and assessing their compatibility with industrial processes. This ultimately led to the development of novel and promising catalysts for the OXIPRO innovation cases, substantially exceeding the initial target of 200 tailored oxidoreductase preparations. OXIPRO has generated new knowledge on five different enzyme subclasses, catalyzing a total of twelve distinct reactions.
Efficient enzyme production, facilitated by microbial fermentation technologies, ensured a sufficient supply for application testing and supported the modeling of scalable production systems. In the four co-developed case studies, OXIPRO demonstrated stepwise proofs of concept, process, and application, showcasing strong technical achievements and cross-sectoral application potential. The project also showed measurable progress toward environmental KPIs, with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies indicating promising potential for reducing environmental impacts. OXIPRO’s alignment with the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) framework and its collaborative, interdisciplinary ecosystem fostered industrial implementation and ensured alignment with societal needs. By the end of the project, OXIPRO delivered a robust portfolio of novel enzymes, validated bioprocesses, scalable production models, and environmental performance data, laying a strong foundation for future industrial uptake. The project’s socio-economic impact includes providing industry with greener technologies, offering consumers more sustainable products, and equipping researchers with new tools and knowledge. Overall, OXIPRO is well-positioned to support the transition to environmentally friendly processes and products, contributing to the EU’s Green Deal and circular economy objectives.
Efficient enzyme production, facilitated by microbial fermentation technologies, ensured a sufficient supply for application testing and supported the modeling of scalable production systems. In the four co-developed case studies, OXIPRO demonstrated stepwise proofs of concept, process, and application, showcasing strong technical achievements and cross-sectoral application potential. The project also showed measurable progress toward environmental KPIs, with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies indicating promising potential for reducing environmental impacts. OXIPRO’s alignment with the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) framework and its collaborative, interdisciplinary ecosystem fostered industrial implementation and ensured alignment with societal needs. By the end of the project, OXIPRO delivered a robust portfolio of novel enzymes, validated bioprocesses, scalable production models, and environmental performance data, laying a strong foundation for future industrial uptake. The project’s socio-economic impact includes providing industry with greener technologies, offering consumers more sustainable products, and equipping researchers with new tools and knowledge. Overall, OXIPRO is well-positioned to support the transition to environmentally friendly processes and products, contributing to the EU’s Green Deal and circular economy objectives.