Project description
New platform to replace conventional food proteins
Milk protein is vital for our nutrition, yet its traditional production methods inflict significant environmental impacts, from greenhouse gas emissions to extensive land usage. Conventional dairy practices contribute to global warming and resource depletion. In this context, the EIC-funded HYDROCOW project aims to create a net-zero carbon dairy protein production platform. Specifically, it will develop a cutting-edge bacterial protein secretion system using an engineered hydrogen oxidising bacterium called Xanthobacter sp. SoF1. This system will convert CO2 and soon nitrogen into food-grade protein, decoupling it from agriculture. Through a design-build-test-learn cycle, HYDROCOW will optimise secreted protein production, delivering essential technologies, predictive metabolic models, genetic engineering tools and a high-throughput screening system.
Objective
Milk protein plays an important role in our nutrition, however classical milk production has significant environmental impacts, from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to extensive land demand. Project HYDROCOW addresses these challenges through a net-zero carbon dairy protein production platform. The main objective of the project isto develop and demonstrate a bacterial protein secretion system where CO2 and soon N2 is valorised into food-grade protein, decoupled from agriculture. This system will base on the first-of-a-kind engineered hydrogen oxidizing bacterium (eHOB) Xanthobacter sp. SoF1. As a first product the main milk component beta-lactoglobulin was chosen.
Technically this will be achieved by implementing a Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle linked to a validation and scale-up phase allowing to iteratively optimize the production of secreted protein. The project will deliver key technologies – A) an innovative eHOB protein secretion system; B) predictive eHOB metabolic models, genetic engineering tools, and a novel high-throughput (HTP) screening system for DBTL cycling; and C) the methods for validation and scale-up – with immediate and long-term impact on the production of food and nutrition, materials, medicines, fuels and chemicals.
In the long-term, the proposed platform has the potential to not only replace conventionally produced food proteins but also deliver proteins for materials or therapeutics, important for human and animal health. In comparison to current standard microbial production processes our platform does not compete with human nutrition for valuable feedstock, such as glucose, and therefore will contribute to a sustainable development of our society. HYDROCOW will generate significant knowledge for a growing research and application community about autotrophic, microbial production systems, their physiology, and sophisticated tools for genetically designing and screening them.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- agricultural sciences animal and dairy science dairy
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- social sciences economics and business economics sustainable economy
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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.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
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-EIC - HORIZON EIC 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) HORIZON-EIC-2022-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01
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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.
53850 Lappeenranta
Finland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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.