Project description
Naturally produced cotton fibres
Dangerous chemical-based manufacturing processes challenge the cotton industry worldwide. Sustainable alternatives are urgently needed, and harnessing biological systems is a good way to develop them. However, the intrinsic complexity of higher organisms and the lack of thorough understanding of underlying mechanisms and their interactions prevent the manufacturing of adequate biobased materials. A recent discovery suggests that cotton plants uptake sugar by the roots and transport it to the fibres. The EU-funded BIOMATFAB project will explore the sugar uptake and upwards transport as well as the biosynthesis of naturally produced fibres at the level of cotton plants. The project will create a roadmap for cotton fibre production with tailored properties.
Objective
Naturally produced fibers have always played central roles in shaping human civilizations. Current hazardous chemical-based manufacturing processes and consumers' preferences for cotton products are putting much strain on the future of cottons global economy. Thus, it is urgent to seek future sustainable alternatives. What alternatives and tools are available? Which new avenues are waiting to be explored toward this end?
Harnessing biological systems is one of humanitys ultimate frontiers. Yet, the intrinsic complexity of higher organisms and the lack of in-depth, comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms and their interactions across a multitude of scales has primarily hindered their use to manufacture bio-based materials with desired properties. This project addresses this lack of knowledge by answering key questions concerning the sugar uptake and upwards transport from the roots and biosynthesis of naturally produced fibers at the level of cotton plants while using this body of information to create a roadmap to produce cotton fibers with tailored properties.
Our approach will dive into the exploration of a recent and largely unexplored discovery that cotton plants uptake sugar by the roots, transporting them upwards, reaching as far as the fibers (root-to-fiber). In particular, we will dwell on the dynamics of this process using sugar derivatives. This body of information will set the stage for feeding the roots of whole cotton plants with sugar derivatives carrying specific functionalities to become, ultimately, biologically incorporated into the fibers modifying their end properties, particularly fluoro-sugars to yield fibers with increased hydrophobicity. We will demonstrate the feasibility of biological fabrication and material farming in whole cotton plants as a revolutionizing and sustainable alternative to manufacturing current chemical-based strategies and toward a bio-based global economy.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2021-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1099 085 Lisboa
Portugal
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.