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Multi-domain Open MALDI Spectra Archive for Identification of Microorganisms

Project description

The power of microbes for global challenges

Microbes are essential to life, yet their vast diversity remains underappreciated despite their critical role in health, ecosystems, and industries like agriculture and food safety. Accurate microbial identification is key to addressing global challenges such as climate change, epidemics and food security. While matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry has revolutionised microbial detection in clinical microbiology, its use has been limited. Enter the EU-funded MALDIBANK project advancing a homonymous global, cloud-based database designed to expand the application of MALDI-TOF technology. By compiling 100 000 reference spectra and leveraging deep learning, it offers a comprehensive tool for microbial identification, surveillance and research, empowering scientists to tackle antimicrobial resistance, environmental monitoring and more.

Objective

MALDIBANK: A Comprehensive Solution to Microbial Challenges

In an era marked by pressing environmental and health challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, global epidemics, and food security, understanding and leveraging the power of microbes is critical. Microbes, fundamental to the biosphere, impact everything from ecosystem dynamics to human health. However, their vast diversity remains largely underestimated. To harness this potential, precise identification of microorganisms is crucial, especially given their varied implications across different sectors. Over the past 15 years, MALDI-TOF (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight) mass spectrometry (MS) has revolutionized microbial identification in fields such as clinical microbiology, food safety, environmental monitoring, and sustainable agriculture. Despite its transformative potential, MALDI-TOF MS technology has been underutilized outside clinical microbiology. MALDIBANK emerges as a groundbreaking initiative to extend the reach of this technology, providing innovative solutions for understanding and utilizing microbial diversity for global problem-solving.

MALDIBANK is conceptualized as a global, cloud-based, open MALDI spectra databank for the identification of microorganisms, combining a vast spectrum database with advanced algorithmic tools. This databank will facilitate processing, characterization, epidemiological surveillance, and more, embodying Open Science and FAIR data principles. It aims to become a new reference in microbial identification, drawing parallels with the impact of GenBank in genomics. By integrating 100,000 reference spectra with rich metadata and employing deep learning models, MALDIBANK will enhance microbial characterization and support areas like antimicrobial resistance prediction and environmental monitoring. It will serve as a dynamic resource for the global scientific community, enabling the exploration of microbial capabilities an

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-INFRA-2024-TECH-01

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Coordinator

MICROBIAL RESOURCE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE - EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE CONSORTIUM
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.

€ 741 035,00
Address
UNIVERSIDADE DO MINHO CAMPUS DE GUALTAR CP 3 PISO
4710-057 BRAGA
Portugal

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Region
Continente Norte Cávado
Activity type
Research Organisations
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.

€ 741 035,00

Participants (22)

Partners (1)

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