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From evolutionary biology to crop mushrooms: constructing sporeless mushroom strains

Objective

In our previous ERC project we identified a broad panel of fungal genes that are associated with spore formation, one of the largest problems in industry-scale crop mushroom production. The mushroom market intensely seeks sporeless strains, however, existing ones are used by a small fraction of growers, because, in addition to sporelessness, they show unwanted morphological defects, which reduce crop quality. In preliminary experiments, we demonstrated that CRISPR-based targeting of novel genes we identified can generate sporeless strains in two model mushroom species, without unwanted side effects. In this project, we set out to demonstrate the utility of this gene panel in converting industrial oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp) strains into sporeless varieties, without the genomic incorporation of exogenous DNA. This will give us a simple and low cost lab-to-farm pipeline for developing novel industrial mushroom strains using a technology that is widely accepted as non-GMO in several regions worldwide. We plan to commercialize such strains through our existing and novel industrial partners in the US, Australia, Japan and potentially several more countries. Overall, this project might provide a lasting solution to a major problem in a well-defined field of biotechnology, that can be used in the ever growing number of countries where marker-free genetic engineering is accepted.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

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.

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.

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.

(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC

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Host institution

HUN-REN SZEGEDI BIOLOGIAI KUTATOKOZPONT
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.

€ 150 000,00
Address
TEMESVARI KORUT 62
6726 Szeged
Hungary

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Region
Alföld és Észak Dél-Alföld Csongrád
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.

No data

Beneficiaries (1)

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