Objective Europe is the prime producer of olive oil, accounting for more than 95% of the worldwide production. Olive oil benefits in human diet are nowadays well known to all the consumers but few people are aware that, despite of its beneficial effects, its production process has intrinsically a huge impact on the environment, since olive oil mills wastewater (alpechin) contains a high quantity of toxic organic and inorganic compounds such as lipids, pectin, xylan and related mono and polysaccharides, mono and oligo polysaccharides, phenolics and salts. Given this huge problem for the environment, it urges to find out a very effective process for the olive oil mills wastewater (OOMW) treatment, guaranteeing a very low impact on the environment. In order to achieve this challenging goal, the POLYVER project proposers will put together their expertise to build up a research project whose main aim is to minimize the environmental impact of olive oil production, drastically reducing the water content in biological polluting substances of about 80%. In addition to such a relevant benefit, the POLYVER project intrinsically will bring a considerable added value to the SMEs. The treatment foreseen is based on a specific use of microrganisms that, digesting OOMW, will produce bioplastic monomers (PHAs) that are biodegradable substitutes of fossil fuel plastics and can be produced from renewable raw materials. Varying the production strains, substrates and co-substrates it will be possible to synthesise polyesters with different monomeric composition resulting in PHAs with engineered physical characteristics and performances. The main innovative elements of the project will be the development of a new, specific and highly efficient bioreactor for the treatment of olive mills waste water, the development of a process for PHAs production by bacteria growing in alpechin amended media, the individuation of the most cost-efficient treatment for the valorisation of bio-polyesters. Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processesengineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybioremediationbioreactorsengineering and technologychemical engineeringseparation technologiesdesalinationreverse osmosisengineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbioplasticspolyhydroxyalkanoatesengineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybioprocessing technologiesfermentation Programme(s) FP6-SME - Horizontal research activities involving SMEs: Specific activities covering wider field of research under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) SME-1 - Co-operative Research (all areas of science and technology) Call for proposal FP6-2004-SME-COOP See other projects for this call Funding Scheme Cooperative - SMEs-Co-operative research contracts Coordinator LABOR S.R.L. Address Via della scrofa, 117 Roma Italy See on map Links Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (10) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all ANTICO FRANTOIO TOSCANO Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Via bolgherese 3 Livorno See on map Links Website Opens in new window ARGUS UMWELTBIOTECHNOLOGIE GMBH Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Kitzingstr. 11-13 Berlin See on map Links Website Opens in new window DEKONTA, A.S. Czechia EU contribution € 0,00 Address Podhori 328/28 Usti nad labem See on map Links Website Opens in new window FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY HELLAS Greece EU contribution € 0,00 Address Vassilika vouton Heraklion See on map Links Website Opens in new window G. DIMITRIADIS & SIA O. E. Greece EU contribution € 0,00 Address Astrikas, kolymbari Chania See on map Links Website Opens in new window IDROPLAX SRL Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Via del palazzaccio 59 Altopascio (lucca) See on map Links Website Opens in new window IOANNIS SKIADAS AND CO JOINT STOCK COMPANY Greece EU contribution € 0,00 Address Strefi messinias Aristomenous municipality See on map SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA AGRICOLA OLIVARERA NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LOS DESAMPARADOS Spain EU contribution € 0,00 Address Antigua carretera de la rambla s/n Puente genil (cordoba) See on map UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA Spain EU contribution € 0,00 Address Cuesta del hospicio s/n Granada See on map Links Website Opens in new window UNIVERSITA DI PISA Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Lungarno pacinotti 43/44 Pisa See on map Links Website Opens in new window
