Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EEM (Enabling Environmental Mycotechnologies)
Période du rapport: 2023-07-01 au 2024-06-30
The Enabling Environmental Mycotechnologies (EEM) project spearheaded by Novobiom aims to tackle critical environmental issues caused by soil contamination, industrial waste, and the need for sustainable resource management. This initiative addresses pressing global challenges, including pollution of soil, sludge, sediments, and water resources, which existing technologies have struggled to remediate effectively and sustainably.
Project Objectives
The EEM project leverages fungal biotechnologies (mycotechnologies), specifically focusing on fungal-based bioremediation and mycorefinery (fungal-based bioconversion and valorization of waste), to address these issues. By developing a specialised fungal strain database (MycoBank), advanced multi-omics pipelines, and tailored fungal bioremediation solutions, Novobiom aims to create a robust foundation for scalable, eco-friendly soil remediation and waste upcycling applications. The project’s primary objectives include:
1. Creation of a Fungal Database for Bioremediation and Bioconversion: MycoBank, a comprehensive fungal repository, documents strain-specific phenotypic and genetic data. This platform enables Novobiom to conduct in-depth analyses, identify high-performing strains, and enhance the precision of bioremediation and waste fermentation strategies.
2. Market and IP Development: The project involves securing intellectual property around these fungal applications while refining the business strategy through market surveys and feedback from key stakeholders. This includes expanding applications in bioremediation and fungal biomolecules production.
Expected Impact
The EEM project is poised to drive meaningful impact in several critical areas:
- Environmental Remediation: The project’s fungal-based remediation approach is set to provide a sustainable alternative to traditional methods, with improved efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. By creating precise, in situ solutions, the project expects to reduce contamination in soil and potentially expand into water and sludge treatment.
- Circular Bioeconomy and Industrial Waste Valorization: EEM’s bioconversion technology aims to transform low-grade waste into high-value biomolecules, contributing to a circular economy. These biomolecules have broad industrial applications, from eco-friendly cosmetic ingredients to industrial cleaning agents.
- Economic and Environmental Sustainability: The scalable nature of fungal biotechnologies offers an accessible, lower-cost remediation approach, reducing dependencies on non-renewable materials and aligning with global sustainability goals. This not only enhances economic feasibility but also minimises the ecological footprint of remediation efforts.
The significance of EEM lies in its potential to catalyse a “green revolution” in environmental bioremediation and bio-based manufacturing. By pushing the boundaries of fungal applications, the project envisions a sustainable future where fungal biotechnologies can rehabilitate ecosystems, lower carbon emissions, and offer innovative alternatives to traditional industrial processes.
Project Objectives
The EEM project leverages fungal biotechnologies (mycotechnologies), specifically focusing on fungal-based bioremediation and mycorefinery (fungal-based bioconversion and valorization of waste), to address these issues. By developing a specialised fungal strain database (MycoBank), advanced multi-omics pipelines, and tailored fungal bioremediation solutions, Novobiom aims to create a robust foundation for scalable, eco-friendly soil remediation and waste upcycling applications. The project’s primary objectives include:
1. Creation of a Fungal Database for Bioremediation and Bioconversion: MycoBank, a comprehensive fungal repository, documents strain-specific phenotypic and genetic data. This platform enables Novobiom to conduct in-depth analyses, identify high-performing strains, and enhance the precision of bioremediation and waste fermentation strategies.
2. Market and IP Development: The project involves securing intellectual property around these fungal applications while refining the business strategy through market surveys and feedback from key stakeholders. This includes expanding applications in bioremediation and fungal biomolecules production.
Expected Impact
The EEM project is poised to drive meaningful impact in several critical areas:
- Environmental Remediation: The project’s fungal-based remediation approach is set to provide a sustainable alternative to traditional methods, with improved efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. By creating precise, in situ solutions, the project expects to reduce contamination in soil and potentially expand into water and sludge treatment.
- Circular Bioeconomy and Industrial Waste Valorization: EEM’s bioconversion technology aims to transform low-grade waste into high-value biomolecules, contributing to a circular economy. These biomolecules have broad industrial applications, from eco-friendly cosmetic ingredients to industrial cleaning agents.
- Economic and Environmental Sustainability: The scalable nature of fungal biotechnologies offers an accessible, lower-cost remediation approach, reducing dependencies on non-renewable materials and aligning with global sustainability goals. This not only enhances economic feasibility but also minimises the ecological footprint of remediation efforts.
The significance of EEM lies in its potential to catalyse a “green revolution” in environmental bioremediation and bio-based manufacturing. By pushing the boundaries of fungal applications, the project envisions a sustainable future where fungal biotechnologies can rehabilitate ecosystems, lower carbon emissions, and offer innovative alternatives to traditional industrial processes.
1. Fungal Database Development
- Novobiom transitioned from a spreadsheet-based system to a secure, dual-platform database. This new platform, chosen for its scalability and analytical capabilities, stores comprehensive strain-specific data and supports multi-omics analyses.
- The MycoBank now integrates genomics, metagenomics, and transcriptomics data, providing a robust framework for understanding fungal strain properties, functions, and interactions. A thorough process was established for data verification, acquisition, and de novo sequencing where data were unavailable from public repositories.
2. Market and IP landscape exploration: information outputs were exploited to refine Novobiom’s roadmap development and its applications.
Main Achievement
Creation of a Versatile MycoBank Platform: The upgraded MycoBank provides centralized access to strain-related data, improving data management, security, and the capacity for advanced analyses. This platform serves as a key scientific asset, housing multi-omics data for identifying strains suitable for various bioremediation and bioconversion applications.
Outcomes of the Action
1. A Fully Functional, Integrated MycoBank Database
2. Expanded R&D Capacity for Sustainable Bioproduction: Novobiom’s integrated pipeline enables the production of high-value biomolecules from industrial waste, providing a feasible route for scaling up fungal fermentation for biomolecules with minimal ecological footprint.
These outcomes position Novobiom at the forefront of fungal biotechnology for environmental sustainability, offering scalable, cost-effective, and high-impact solutions for pollution remediation and waste upcycling across diverse industrial sectors.
- Novobiom transitioned from a spreadsheet-based system to a secure, dual-platform database. This new platform, chosen for its scalability and analytical capabilities, stores comprehensive strain-specific data and supports multi-omics analyses.
- The MycoBank now integrates genomics, metagenomics, and transcriptomics data, providing a robust framework for understanding fungal strain properties, functions, and interactions. A thorough process was established for data verification, acquisition, and de novo sequencing where data were unavailable from public repositories.
2. Market and IP landscape exploration: information outputs were exploited to refine Novobiom’s roadmap development and its applications.
Main Achievement
Creation of a Versatile MycoBank Platform: The upgraded MycoBank provides centralized access to strain-related data, improving data management, security, and the capacity for advanced analyses. This platform serves as a key scientific asset, housing multi-omics data for identifying strains suitable for various bioremediation and bioconversion applications.
Outcomes of the Action
1. A Fully Functional, Integrated MycoBank Database
2. Expanded R&D Capacity for Sustainable Bioproduction: Novobiom’s integrated pipeline enables the production of high-value biomolecules from industrial waste, providing a feasible route for scaling up fungal fermentation for biomolecules with minimal ecological footprint.
These outcomes position Novobiom at the forefront of fungal biotechnology for environmental sustainability, offering scalable, cost-effective, and high-impact solutions for pollution remediation and waste upcycling across diverse industrial sectors.
Results and Potential Impacts
1. Enhanced Fungal Bioremediation Capabilities
- Results: The company is developing scalable fungal bioremediation models and validated substrate formulations using waste-based materials for efficient fungal growth and pollutant degradation. The MycoBank database, upgraded with multi-omics capabilities, now supports the precise selection of fungal strains suited to various soil contaminants.
- Impacts: The ability to deploy tailored, in situ fungal bioremediation solutions has substantial potential for reducing soil and industrial waste contamination in a more cost-effective, eco-friendly manner than traditional methods. This technology is particularly impactful for sectors in Europe and globally that are under increasing regulatory pressure to implement sustainable remediation solutions.
2. Waste Valorization and Circular Bioeconomy Contributions
- Results: The company has demonstrated the fungal bioconversion of low-grade waste into valuable biomolecules, usable in industries such as cosmetics, agriculture, and chemicals.
- Impacts: Fungal valorization creates new revenue streams by turning waste materials into high-value, sustainable products.
3. Improved Data-Driven Bioremediation Modeling
- Results: With the development of machine-learning-supported data pipelines, Novobiom can analyze complex microbial and environmental interactions, allowing for predictive modeling in bioremediation processes.
- Impacts: This innovation increases precision, reduces trial times, and enhances the cost-effectiveness of bioremediation projects in varied and challenging environments.
Key Needs for Further Uptake and Success
1. Further Research and Development
- Expanded multi-strain bioremediation studies would deepen understanding of microbial community dynamics in contaminated environments. Additional R&D efforts could further optimise strains and substrate formulations, increasing resilience and effectiveness under different soil and waste conditions.
2. Pilot Demonstrations and Commercial-Scale Validation
- More extensive field testing in various geographical and contamination contexts is crucial to refine large-scale applications. This would build more evidence for market adoption, demonstrate regulatory compliance, and establish protocols for industrial use.
1. Enhanced Fungal Bioremediation Capabilities
- Results: The company is developing scalable fungal bioremediation models and validated substrate formulations using waste-based materials for efficient fungal growth and pollutant degradation. The MycoBank database, upgraded with multi-omics capabilities, now supports the precise selection of fungal strains suited to various soil contaminants.
- Impacts: The ability to deploy tailored, in situ fungal bioremediation solutions has substantial potential for reducing soil and industrial waste contamination in a more cost-effective, eco-friendly manner than traditional methods. This technology is particularly impactful for sectors in Europe and globally that are under increasing regulatory pressure to implement sustainable remediation solutions.
2. Waste Valorization and Circular Bioeconomy Contributions
- Results: The company has demonstrated the fungal bioconversion of low-grade waste into valuable biomolecules, usable in industries such as cosmetics, agriculture, and chemicals.
- Impacts: Fungal valorization creates new revenue streams by turning waste materials into high-value, sustainable products.
3. Improved Data-Driven Bioremediation Modeling
- Results: With the development of machine-learning-supported data pipelines, Novobiom can analyze complex microbial and environmental interactions, allowing for predictive modeling in bioremediation processes.
- Impacts: This innovation increases precision, reduces trial times, and enhances the cost-effectiveness of bioremediation projects in varied and challenging environments.
Key Needs for Further Uptake and Success
1. Further Research and Development
- Expanded multi-strain bioremediation studies would deepen understanding of microbial community dynamics in contaminated environments. Additional R&D efforts could further optimise strains and substrate formulations, increasing resilience and effectiveness under different soil and waste conditions.
2. Pilot Demonstrations and Commercial-Scale Validation
- More extensive field testing in various geographical and contamination contexts is crucial to refine large-scale applications. This would build more evidence for market adoption, demonstrate regulatory compliance, and establish protocols for industrial use.