Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Creation of a group of Excellence on Engineered Biofilms

Project description

Building a group of excellence focused on engineered biofilms

Biofilms are cooperative communities of microorganisms notorious for their negative impacts on industrial systems and in the medical community. Biofilms in cooling towers, for example, foul and corrode the surface impeding system performance. The medical community battles biofilms that present as chronic infections or infected indwelling medical devices, resulting in poor patient outcomes. The EU-funded e.Biofilm project at the University of Porto, Portugal is building a group of excellence focused on engineering biofilms in the laboratory that will enable for their control, removal or prevention in industrial and medical applications. The ERA Chair holder will utilise her expertise and network to establish a research and training programme that cultivates links within the scientific community, industry, regulators and the public.

Objective

Biofilms are complex and dynamic structures of interface-associated microbial cells, enclosed in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. They are ubiquitous both in nature and human-built environments, greatly affecting the progression of clinical infections, environmental sustainability, and industrial processes. The complexity of these structures renders the apparently simple goal of engineering and growing reproducible biofilms as an elusive task. The main objective of this proposal is to set-up a Group of Excellence on engineered Biofilms (e.BIOFILM) at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (UPorto). e.BIOFILM will build upon the expertise and network of experts from the prospective ERA Chair holder Darla Goeres and her current employee, the Center for Biofilm Engineering of Montana State University (MSU), the most well-established centre in biofilm research in the world. In addition to research excellence in engineered biofilms, e.BIOFILM will include a thriving educational and training program, a technology transfer program that promotes innovation, and adequate communication and dissemination strategies that establishes links with the scientific community, industry, regulatory entities and the public in general in the European Research Area.

Keywords

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.

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.

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.

HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-01

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 2 498 245,00
Address
PRACA GOMES TEIXEIRA
4099-002 Porto
Portugal

See on map

Region
Continente Norte Área Metropolitana do Porto
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 2 498 245,00

Participants (1)

My booklet 0 0