Project description
NEXTMARINE: pioneering discovery in extreme marine environments
Extreme European environments – such as the volcanic arc of the Aegean Sea and ammunition dump sites in the Baltic – host diverse extremophilic microorganisms. The EU-funded NEXTMARINE project explores this biodiversity to unlock its potential for industrial processes and innovative applications. Combining advanced sampling techniques, cutting-edge bioinformatics, AI-driven modelling, the most recent molecular biology, enzymology and protein engineering tools, the project will harness metagenomic data to identify unique enzymes with high industrial relevance. NEXTMARINE will deepen knowledge of extreme ecosystems while developing scalable methods for producing halogenases for pharmaceuticals and carbohydrate-processing enzymes. In conclusion, NEXTMARINE aspires to push the boundaries of exploration, uncovering unique enzymatic resources from extreme environments and translating this knowledge into innovative bioprocesses and products.
Objective
In Europe, physicochemically extreme environments, such as the volcanic arc in the Mediterranean Aegean Sea, as well as anoxic zones and ammunition dump sites in the Baltic Sea, serve as extreme ecosystems that selectively favors various extremophilic microorganisms. The central tenet of the proposed research is that the extremophiles play important roles in the cycling of nutrients and chemical elements in these environments, representing a vast genetic source of enzymes with high industrial application potential, which needs to be explored. The proposed research involves applying innovative sampling method that use novel remotely operated underwater vehicles at these extreme environments, and conducting investigative exploration of the sites through underwater hyperspectral cameras, imaging measurements, and robotic sensing technologies. These activities will advance both the fundamental understanding of the extreme ecosystems and will supply a wide range of unique samples for exploration and discovery of novel enzymes. The enzymes will be identified and characterized using cutting-edge gene sequencing technologies, bioinformatics, artificial-intelligence tools for structural and functional comparisons, and high-throughput methods. Furthermore, new enzyme production intensification and up-scaling methods will be employed to provide both a range of novel, unique halogenases for manufacture of new pharmaceutical compounds, and an array of carbohydrate processing enzymes for seaweed and chitin biorefining to provide new value-added compounds (alginates, fucoidans, chitin-derivatives) for pharmaceutical, biomaterial and food applications. The program includes a targeted dissemination plan to share of high-impact research results, along with extensive communication efforts aiming the general public, non-governmental organizations, and regional development agencies. These initiatives collectively contribute to conservation and protection of the marine genetic diversity.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- natural sciences biological sciences marine biology
- engineering and technology environmental engineering remote sensing
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
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-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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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-CL6-2024-CIRCBIO-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.
741 00 RETHIMNO
Greece
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.