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CORDIS

Extremophiles for Resilient Soils and Crops

Objective

Climate change and environmental degradation threaten global agriculture, demanding sustainable solutions beyond conventional chemical-based approaches. BiotEX (Biotech Innovations from EXtremophiles for Next-Generation Bio-inputs and Soil Health) harnesses the untapped metabolic diversity and stress-resistance traits of extremophilic microorganisms to develop climate-resilient biofertilisers, bio-stimulants, bioprotectants, and bioremediation solutions for sustainable agriculture.

The consortium brings together 15 organizations from 9 countries: leading European universities and research centers (UJA-Spain, UL-Slovenia, UGR-Spain, CIIMAR-Portugal, UNITUS-Italy, ULE-Spain), Latin American and associated partners (UMAG-Chile, UCAM-Morocco, PROINPA-Bolivia), and industry/societal stakeholders (FICOSTERRA, KYBELES, CE2A, FYKIA, SDD, IA). Through 150+ staff exchanges, joint training schools, mentoring, and stakeholder forums, BiotEX will train a new generation of cross-sectoral researchers fluent in the full innovation chain.

Structured around four objectives, BiotEX will: (SO1) expand and harmonize extremophile biodiversity resources through targeted bioprospecting, yielding ~100 curated strains and ~50 genome annotations; (SO2) discover novel bioactive molecules via untargeted metabolomics and bioassay-guided screening; (SO3) translate findings into proof-of-concept applications, advancing two prototypes to TRL 4; and (SO4) integrate regulatory validation, safety assessment, and societal adoption pathways for extremophile-based bio-inputs.

BiotEX directly advances the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the EU Soil Mission, while contributing to UN SDGs 2, 12, 13, and 15. By establishing one of the first curated libraries of agriculturally relevant extremophiles and demonstrating their practical field applications, the project positions Europe as a global leader in extremophile biotechnology for sustainable agriculture.

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Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-SE - HORIZON TMA MSCA Staff Exchanges

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2026-SE-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD DE JAEN
Net EU contribution
€ 532 510,00
Address
CAMPUS LAS LAGUNILLAS SN EDIFICO B1 VICERRECTORADO DE INVESTIGACION DESAR TECN E INNOVACION
23071 JAEN
Spain
Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (10)

Partners (3)