Twinning for intensified enzymatic processes for production of prebiotic-containing functional food and bioactive cosmetics

Project Information

TwinPrebioEnz

Grant agreement ID: 101060130

DOI

10.3030/101060130

Project closed

EC signature date 28 April 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2025

Funded under

• Widening participation and spreading excellence

Total cost

€ 1 466 675,00

EU contribution

€ 1 466 675,00

Coordinated by

FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY AND METALLURGY UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE
Serbia

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TwinPrebioEnz (Twinning for intensified enzymatic processes for production of prebiotic-containing functional food and bioactive cosmetics)

Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The goal of “Twinning for intensified enzymatic processes for production of prebiotic containing functional food and bioactive cosmetics – TwinPrebioEnz”, project is to advance the research and innovation capacity of The Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy (FTM) in the area of prebiotics technology by collaboration with leading EU institutions with complementary expertise: Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Maastricht University (MU), Netherlands and Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), Netherlands.
The analysis of the achievements of FTM in the field of prebiotics technology up to now shows a significant scientific impact that was accomplished by publications in international journals, and impact on wider society that is achieved by the development of novel products through cooperation with SMEs. Also, FTM’s expertise in field of bioprocess engineering and abundance of raw materials in Western Balkan region make research in field of prebiotic technology prospective. However, specific knowledge and skills are missing although required to fulfill the ambition of the FTM to be incubator of innovative prebiotic-based products. The modest performance of the available industrial enzymes is a significant constraint for the development of intensified and cost-effective enzymatic process and can be improved by chemical or genetic modification of enzymes. Also, thorough structural characterization and more reliable methods for in vitro determination of prebiotic activity based on use of human microbiota are necessity for selection of adequate prebiotic candidates.
TwinPrebioEnz is envisaged as opportunity to advance the research and innovation competences of FTM in this field with addition of missing expertise by establishing cooperation with EU research institutions and transfer of specific knowledge, skills and techniques to FTM. In order to achieve these goals, various activities will be organized by project consortium, including trainings of FTM’s researchers in EU institutions, short-term staff visits, exchange of students and young researchers, seminars, workshops and 2 conferences. TwinPrebioEnz is focused on development of prebiotic technology based on renewable raw materials and use of enzymatic processes, hence wider socio-economic impact is expected by showing advantages of the green transition and implementation of circular economy concepts in the regional economy.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Activities within TwinPrebioEnz and good cooperation with other Twinning project coordinated by FTM (ExcellMater) enabled significant improvements in research management capacities of FTM. The cluster event comprising seminars and workshop, organized by EU partners of both consortiums, and site expert visit of project coordinator were designed to improve pre-award and post-award skills of FTM’s researchers and financial and legal administration. Also, in cooperation with FTM's management an action plan was formulated that included the formation of an expert group within FTM that already organized one seminar on writing of project proposals organized by the newly formed expert group indicated significant improvement in skills of FTM’s researchers. Also, initial steps in formation of Grant Office were carried out by FTM’s HR Office by improvements of the Job Classification Rule Book.
Transfer of knowledge on human microbiota analysis started with a seminar with contribution from MU regarding in vitro models of the gastrointestinal tract and from Radboudumc concerning in vitro models mimicking human skin. Next stage of knowledge transfer were trainings of four FTM’s researchers in skin microbiota analysis at Radboudumc and four FTM’s researchers in gut microbiota analysis at MU. So far, methodologies based on skin callus model for analysis of skin microbiota are successfully applied at FTM’s research group and further transfer will be organized within a practicum workshop in Belgrade including laboratory work supervised by FTM and Radboudumc teams. Transfer of knowledge from CSIC is designed to enable researchers from FTM to acquire capability to utilize skills of protein engineering to improve catalytic properties of enzymes applied in production of prebiotics and improve their knowledge on structural characterization of obtained prebiotics. First step was the organization of seminars in Belgrade with lecturers from CSIC, then four FTM researchers were trained in field of prebiotic oligosaccharide structural characterization at CIAL-CSIC, five researchers obtained training in genetic modification of enzymes at ICTAN-CSIC and three researchers obtained training at ICP-CSIC in chemical modification of enzymes. Techniques on chemical modification of enzymes and structural characterization of prebiotics are already applied within research activities at FTM within TwinPrebioEnz in the first reporting period.
Significant efforts were focused on enhancing scientific excellence of young scientists through short term scientific exchanges. Early career researchers (ECR) and early-stage researchers (ESR) from the FTM were involved in this program: four researchers visited Radboudumc, three researchers MU and seven researchers to CSIC. All publications and presentations resulting from TwinPrebioEnz are co-authored by at least one of young scientists, hence they gave crucial contribution to evident increase of scientific excellence of FTM. Also, complete work on the organization of the Conference for Young Scientists (www.icbeb-ys.com) in Belgrade from December 7-8 was done by young scientists from all partner institutions.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The goal of project to increase scientific excellence of the FTM in field of prebiotic technology was envisaged as intertwined with establishing foundation for long-term scientific cooperation between members of project consortium. WP focused on joint research was designed to provide both goals and it is progressing accordingly. Research focused on development on novel gut prebiotics obtained in intensified enzymatic processes using by-products of food industry as raw materials performed at the FTM is significantly improved by contribution of CSIC in improving activity and stability of applied enzymes and structural characterization of obtained prebiotics and contribution of MU in providing reliable analysis of prebiotic activity of obtained compounds and identification of the most promising candidates. When it comes to novel skin prebiotics, research at the FTM was primarily focused on the optimization of the enzymatic processes for extraction of polyphenolic compounds from herbal material and enzymatic modification of these compounds. Since preliminary analysis at the FTM identified several berries, their pomaces and sunflower meal extract as sources of biomolecules with prebiotic potential, these substrates were chosen for joint research with Radboudumc that resulted with important findings of prospective cosmetic products with skin prebiotic activity and/or aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist activity. Cooperation with CSIC was focused on enzymatic synthesis of flavonoid oligomers using enzyme-metal nanobiohybrids as biocatalysts. Joint research so far resulted with two joint publications and overall eight publications of the FTM team with achievement of targeted 50%-increase of average impact factor of publications.

Scheme of application of project consortium expertise in prebiotic tehnology