Project description
Overcoming challenges faced by next-generation-sequencing
Biotechnology has revolutionised the bioproducts industry by harnessing microorganisms in production. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a crucial component of biotechnology that will play an increasingly important role in its future, enabling the rapid development of new microbial strains and bioproducts, leading to more eco-friendly products. In this context, the EU funded NGS-4-ECOPROD project aims to provide the Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax (CBS) with a range of tools, collaborations with European universities, improved networks and expertise, and specialised support to develop novel biotechnology products that can replace chemical products as more environmentally sustainable alternatives.
Objective
Biotechnology develops and applies microorganisms for the production of bioproducts with industrial interest. Next-generation-sequencing (NGS) plays an increasingly important role in improving and accelerating microbial strain development for existing and novel bioproducts via screening, gene and pathway discovery, metabolic engineering and additional optimization and understanding of large-scale manufacturing. NGS technologies have become main stream due to an important reduction in costs and an increase in sequence quality. However, data analysis still requires substantial bioinformatics expertise and adaptation to specific purposes due to the large datasets, data management and infrastructure supporting an NGS research facility. These challenges are particularly relevant in the research centers of the widening countries such as the case of the Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax (CBS) in Tunisia. In line with EU orientations and twinning requirements, NGS-4-ECOPROD aims to: (i) improve creativity, excellence capacity, and resources, (ii) raise the reputation, research profile, and attractiveness, and (iii) strength research management capacities and administrative skills in the CBS, through addressing the existing gaps in the field of NGS. NGS-4-ECOPROD project will allow CBS to exploit its NGS platform to develop original biotechnology products (extremozymes, sporeless biopesticides, antioxidant-ergothioneine, and bioplastics) useful as eco-friendly alternative to chemicals ones. This will be achieved thanks to the tight collaboration and networking activities (staff exchanges, workshops, conferences, training young researchers, and summer school activities) between the CBS and two leading well renowned research EU Partners in the field of NGS namely the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 in France and the Georg August University of Göttingen in Germany. The NGS-4-ECOPROD will ultimately adopt an integrated communication and dissemination strategy with openness on the socio-economic sectors.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-AG - HORIZON Action Grant Budget-BasedCoordinator
3018 Sfax
Tunisia