Project description
Carminic acid sustainable production for the natural colourant sector
Natural pigments are gaining traction in the EU as sustainable alternatives to synthetic colourants, but challenges such as scalability, cost, and ethics hinder their widespread use. Carminic acid, a typical example, requires labour-intensive extraction and raises ethical concerns. Its production is also influenced by unpredictable weather. The ERC-funded LemnaTap project will develop innovative technology for the sustainable production of target metabolites such as carminic acid. It will demonstrate the feasibility of creating affordable and eco-friendly natural colourants, while also developing a business plan for market readiness. The project includes market analysis and discussions with stakeholders to validate the business case and to identify funding sources for future commercialisation.
Objective
Natural pigments are gaining importance in the EU as safer and more sustainable alternatives to synthetic colorants, but their use also presents challenges which have been hindering their wide adoption in the colorants market, particularly in terms of scalability, cost, and ethical sourcing. Carminic acid is widely used as a natural alternative and exemplifies these production challenges: it requires a labour-intensive extraction process, has negative ethical and environmental impacts for insect cultivation and exploitation, and its production is unpredictable due to external factors like weather fluctuations. Our PoC project introduces a groundbreaking technology for the sustainable production of target metabolites like Carminic acid. We aim to demonstrate the feasibility of using our innovative technology to produce cheaper and more sustainable natural colorants and to develop a comprehensive Business Plan to ensure the technology's market readiness and sustainability. Furthermore, we will conduct thorough market analysis and industry discussions to test our business case with relevant stakeholders, while also identifying potential funding sources to support future commercialization efforts.
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 materials engineering colors
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
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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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept 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) ERC-2025-POC
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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.
7610001 Rehovot
Israel
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.