Project description
Technology to create crops with twice as much protein to satisfy EU needs
The demand for clean label, plant-based, protein-rich products is growing because consumers are choosing to replace animal products with plant-based, protein-enriched ones. For reasons such as major vegetable protein deficits, the European food industry cannot meet the demand for such products. The EU-funded ECBS project will deliver an advanced, cost-efficient, non-genetically modified organism computational breeding technology that develops customised crops based on food industry requirements. Crops with particular features will be produced that are 10 times more accurate than at present. The project envisions crops with 50 % more protein and superior nutritional values compared to commercial varieties.
Objective
Protein is critical to human health, but the way we produce and consume it today presents many challenges, both in terms of global consumption patterns as well as their social, environmental and economic impacts. Consumers, aware of the impact a carnivorous diet has on health, animal welfare, and the environment, aim to replace animal products with plant-based protein-enriched products, which explains an increasing demand for clean-label plant-based protein-rich products. However, of the total plant protein produced, less than half is used for human consumption, with just three crops (maize, wheat and rice) accounting for about 50% of the world’s consumption of calories and plant protein. Regarding the EU, the European Union is suffering from a major deficit in vegetable proteins mainly due to the needs of its livestock sector, being dependent on imports from third countries. In order to put an end to this dependency, the EU is building a strategy to promote protein crops, encouraging the production of protein and leguminous plants in EU’s agriculture. On the other hand, the lack of cost-effective plant-proteins diversity (dominant species are soy and pea), organoleptic and functional challenges, and low protein content and quality, is holding-back the market. The food industry is therefore unable to satisfy consumer demand for affordable tasty plant-based protein-enriched products.
Via our advanced and non-GMO computational breeding technology (ECBS), we are able to develop customized crops based on the food industry needs, i.e. with those traits required by the industry. This cost-efficient technology enables to create crops with specific traits much more accurately (>10 times higher). On that basis, to meet the current plant protein needs in the industry, we are able to create crops with 50% more protein, better functional (e.g. up to 75% more solubility) and higher nutritional values than commercial varieties.
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture vegetable growing
- agricultural sciences animal and dairy science domestic animals animal husbandry
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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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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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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.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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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) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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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.
6094800 Givat Brenner
Israel
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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.