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“MICROMETABOLITE” – Research Training Network on the Microbial Enhancement of Bioactive Secondary Metabolite Production in Plants

Project description

Innovative plant production system

Plant-associated microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi play a vital role in plant health and secondary metabolite synthesis. Understanding the interplay between host plants and their associated microorganisms can help enhance the production of bioactive compounds for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MICROMETABOLITE project aims to investigate how microorganisms influence metabolite production and establish novel production systems for naphtoquinone derivatives known for their anti-inflammatory properties and role in tissue regeneration. The project will also train young scientists to lead future advancements in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical applications.

Objective

Plant-derived natural products or, more specifically, plant secondary metabolites are backbones of today’s pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industry. Plant-associated microorganisms have been implicated an important role in sustaining plant growth and, through inducing or influencing synthesis pathways, in the production of plant secondary metabolites. MICROMETABOLITE aims at exploring the plant-associated microflora for improving the production of bioactive secondary plant metabolites that are of high value for industrial applications. The network will focus on members of the Boraginaceae plant family including Lithospermum and Alkanna species, which produce the naphtoquinones shikonin and alkannin derivatives (A/S). These plants are used for the production of several pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical preparations that are already on the market or in the final stages of development. Specifically, we will analyse relationships between the content of A/S or other secondary metabolites, the plant genotype, and the plant-associated microflora. Further, we will explore in which ways microorganisms beneficially influence metabolite production, and we will establish novel production systems, enabling that raw materials for industrial applications can be cultivated under Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
MICROMETABOLITE aspires to create an environment that will foster synergistic cooperation between researchers in relevant, currently hardly inter-linked scientific disciplines and maximize the exploitation of plant biotechnology in accordance with the needs of the European pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. As the first network in this area, it will train some of the most talented European young scientists (ESRs) to become future leading scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs, who can take on leadership in the required scientific and technological discovery and in the development of next-generation pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical applications.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

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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.

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.

MSCA-ITN-ETN - European Training Networks

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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) H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016

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Coordinator

AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH
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.

€ 511 868,16
Address
GIEFINGGASSE 4
1210 WIEN
Austria

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Region
Ostösterreich Wien Wien
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.

€ 511 868,16

Participants (5)

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