Project description
Growing resilience to a changing climate
As rising temperatures and extreme weather strain global agriculture, crop yields are increasingly at risk. Conventional methods of crop production that involve high usage of fertiliser and pesticides have been proved unsustainable because they negatively impact the environment and human health. Biostimulants (natural bacteria with high potential to enhance plant growth and resilience to stress) have been identified as an alternative. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the AgriGel project aims to find innovative means to deliver the microbes. It involves encapsulating them in a biological hydrogel composed of polypeptides and sugar nanoparticles. This intelligent gel sustains the bacteria and promotes their distribution to the plants. This innovation could help the growth of sustainable crops.
Objective
The impact of climate change on agriculture is expected to lead to significant reduction in crop yield by the abiotic stress it causes for plants. With a growing world population, this puts a serious risk on future food security. The past concept of more fertiliser, more pesticides is not sustainable anymore due to the long-lasting negative effect this might have on the environment and human health. The use of biostimulants such as natural bacteria able to promote plant health and productivity is seen as the way forward. AgriGel aims to develop a novel approach in biostimulant formulation in which the bacteria are embedded in a polypeptide hydrogel containing sugar loaded polypeptide nanoparticles. In this system, the nature-inspired degradable polypeptides and the sugar provide the nutrients (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon) for the bacteria to grow once applied to the plant. The project aims at a proof-of-concept spanning from the synthesis of the nanoparticle loaded hydrogels to in vitro assays testing the nitrogen fixation and phosphorous solubilisation of the bacteria. This innovative project is placed at the intersection of polymer chemistry, material science, microbiology and agricultural technology. With Syngenta UK the project involves a multinational agricultural company offering several months of secondment and full access to their laboratories and expertise. This intersectoral project will provide an exceptional opportunity for the validation of the materials as well as a unique experience for the applicant in industrial R&D during secondments. The applicants’ expertise will be further enhanced by a dedicated training programme in scientific and complementary skills jointly offered by the academic and industry partner for a positive career impact. Project results will be communicated to the scientific community as well as the public to create further awareness of the importance of finding solutions to climate change impact on humanity.
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
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- social sciences economics and business economics production economics productivity
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
You need to log in or register to use this function
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-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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-2024-PF-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.
D02 YN77 DUBLIN 2
Ireland
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.