Project description
Enzymes for a sustainable polymer industry
Many items we use in everyday life are made of polymeric materials such as plastics and are of fossil origin. However, we need to redesign the polymer chain using sustainable raw materials, processes, and recycling. Enzymes offer eco-friendly solutions for this shift but face challenges like high costs, low stability, and inefficiency. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the COMENZE project aims to address these issues by integrating computational and experimental methods to enhance enzyme discovery and engineering. By developing optimised enzymes and bio-based polymers, COMENZE seeks to foster a sustainable polymer industry and train researchers to drive innovations in the field.
Objective
Polymeric materials are ubiquitous in our daily lives but they have a predominantly fossil origin, with low degradability at their end-of-
life. Transitioning to a circular polymer economy requires a rethinking of the entire value chain, from the raw materials, tools, and processes used to polymer design degradation and recycling. Enzymes are eco-friendly and sustainable tools that tackle many industrial applications. However, biocatalysis in the polymer field remains mostly unexplored due to i) enzymes high cost and low stability under reaction conditions, ii) enzymes inefficiency in converting bio-based monomers into cost-effective building blocks, and iii) lack of knowledge in key enzyme-polymer interactions that can control the final polymer performance and degradability features. Computational tools have shown immense power to revolutionize the field of enzyme engineering in a time and cost effective way. However, there is currently a clear lack of researchers combining computational and experimental skills, capable of determining future directions for the optimization of biocatalytic processes for the sustainable molecular design of polymers.
To foster the transition to a bio-based polymer industry, COMENZE aims to develop enzymatic strategies for improving the eco-design and development of future sustainable polymers. This will be achieved by combining cutting-edge computational and experimental approaches for enzyme discovery and engineering through in-silico modeling, simulation, and translation of results into wet labs to validate enzymatic reactions. COMENZE will train the next generation of researchers by equipping 10 DCs with the skills to revolutionize the polymer circularity by delivering new optimized enzymes and bioprocesses, newly identified bio-based building blocks, and functionalized polymers with innovative bio-upcycling and biodegradation end-of-life options.
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.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis biocatalysis
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks
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.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
1099 085 Lisboa
Portugal
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.